Jackson Junior 04: Nuptial Preludes
by drgemini86
Summary: Sequel to Jackson Junior, Sam and Daniel must overcome a series of obstacles before they can get married, including a big make or break Ori mission. Spoilers for seasons 1 through 10, SGA s3 & 4, and Ark of Truth. SamDaniel, CamVala, ValaTomin, ShWeir
1. Faith

**Jackson Junior: Nuptial Preludes, by DrGemini86**

**Summary: ** Sam and Daniel have to overcome a series of obstacles before they can get married. Sequel to Jackson Junior. Set across a season 12-13 timeline, and a month or so after the beach party at the end of Jackson Junior.  
**Rating: **Mature  
**Category: **Established Relationship  
**Genres: **Action/Adventure, Crossover (with Atlantis), Drama, Family, Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Sequel, SongFic (in parts)  
**Pairings: **CamVala, ValaTomin, ShWeir, JackSara, Teal'cIsh'ta  
**Warnings: **Some rude stuff between our favourite scientists, something between Vala and Tomin, some nudity, and some swearing... maybe  
**Spoilers: **season 1-10 (including Unending), Atlantis seasons 3-4, and Ark of Truth

--------------------

Sam and Daniel kissed their children goodnight before returning to their own bedroom. She stood at the window, looking up at the full moon, her mind full of thoughts. He came up behind her and kissed her neck and shoulder, asking,

"What's up? We haven't had a chance to talk properly since you came home… how did the meeting with Liz, the IOA and the General go?"

She sighed, closing her eyes before replying,

"They want me to go to Atlantis for three months."

Still holding her, he straightened up, surprised, and asked,

"What did _you_ say?"

"I said that I'd discuss it with you first… I don't think I can go though, what with you, Cammie and James, the wedding… not forgetting my work in _this_ galaxy."

He kissed her shoulder before saying,

"Go for it."

She turned around, stunned, and asked,

"Really?"

He nodded and replied, "You're the best person for the job and it would be totally selfish, not forgetting sexist of me to demand that you stay here. We both know that the galaxies' safety is paramount… why do they need you over there anyway?"

"Sheppard got hit pretty badly during a surprise Wraith attack when they were on a reconnaissance mission. They reckon he'll be out of action for three months and they want me to step in for the duration, and assess my leadership skills in the process."

"Oh that poor man… I hope he's going to be alright… This isn't going to turn out to be permanent is it?"

She shook her head and replied, "No… I think they might want me to replace Cam as SG-1 leader and this is just a quiet way to test me."

He hugged her, saying, "The wedding can wait Sam… as for our babies, it'll be tough but we can get through this. Maybe I could go part time with Jonas... or maybe Jack will step in like he does when we're both needed off-world… either way, it's only for three months. Go knock 'em dead… not literally though."

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his waist, before saying,

"Thank you Daniel…"

He gazed down at her and said, a hint of mischief in his eyes,

"Just do me one favour…"

She looked at him curiously, still not quite used to naughty Daniel, and he continued,

"Take some of Mitchell's lemon shower gel."

She rested her head on his chest, chuckling, and remarked,

"For you, anything… I'll borrow Sheppard's lucky lemon too."

He kissed the top of her head and whispered,

"You'll be fine, I know you will."


	2. Milky Way Cool Cats

The next afternoon, Sam knocked on the open door of Cam's office. He looked up from drafting a mission report and said, a little surprised,

"Hey Sam… what's up?"

She replied, a little nervous,

"I just came from another meeting with Liz and the General… I'm accepting the Atlantis post."

He stood up, approaching her, and asked,

"When are you shippin' out?"

"Day after next… I'm sorry Cam… I didn't want to break up the band, even more than Daniel and I have done already."

He put a hand on her shoulder and replied, still surprised,

"Aw Sam, you guys didn't break up the band… our lead guitarists are job-sharin' but we got an extra drummer so it kinda works out… of course, I'd rather have the original band back but I got some cool godchildren in the deal."

She sighed and said, "The extra drummer might be going part-time if General O'Neill isn't available."

"It's ok Sam… it's only for three months, right?"

She nodded, deciding not to tell him about the IOA's potential motives for offering the post. He pulled her into a hug and said,

"Go show the Pegasus Galaxy what us Milky Way cool cats are made of."

She chuckled, replying, "Thanks Cam."

"I'm gonna miss you though… I'm sure we all will."

"Me too."


	3. Booze Alphabet

Sam spent most of her last full day in the Milky Way with her fiancé and children. Her friends, the Jacks and Cassie threw her a surprise party, where they each gave her lemon-shaped and scented objects. Jack and Cam sparred over who would help Daniel to look after the 'twins', and the General won out and out, saying that he had already booked the time off, much to Sam and Daniel's surprise. They hugged him in gratitude, and he remarked,

"Yeah, yeah, you do that now… wait 'til I teach them the booze alphabet."

Mini-Jack elaborated with a grin, "B is for Budweiser, C is for Carlsberg, C is for Coors, G is for Guinness, J is for Jack Daniels, M is for Moonshine…"

Vala said, earning exasperated looks from the Jacks,

"P is for Pylarkian Whiskey…"

Sam, pretending to look annoyed, remarked,

"Sir… they've already got enough legitimate alphabets to learn…"

Jack retorted with raised eyebrows,

"What… the booze alphabet isn't legitimate?! Y'know… I'm willin' to bet $20 that you guys'll find a planet or two that uses it… or would benefit from learning it."

He waggled his eyebrows at a giggling James, before swooping the little boy up and joking,

"Who's _not_ gonna be a cheaper date than their Daddy?"

Daniel rolled his eyes as everyone laughed, and James grizzled in reply before proceeding to babble, and Jack remarked,

"Maybe I _am_ too late… he's already takin' after his Pop. I can just about work out every third word in seven… let's see… oh wait, he said 'moonshine.' I knew the kid wasn't a lost cause."

Daniel pretended to be annoyed as he remarked,

"Jaaack, you're not teaching him how to drink."

Before Jack could reply, he felt a tugging on his left trouser leg. He looked down and remarked with a smile,

"Oh Cammie, you after some moonshine too? I think the President'll FedEx you some from his secret stash… that's between you and me though."

He swooped up the now giggling girl with his free arm and held her. Daniel whispered to Sam as he slipped an arm around her waist,

"I think they'll be fine with Jack."

She nodded and watched with a smile as Jack walked over to talk to Teal'c, and the twins proceeded to play with the Jaffa's tattoo.


	4. Eros, Agape and Philos

That night, after settling their children down, Sam and Daniel went downstairs instead of to bed, neither of them wanting to sleep. Half-watching a DVD, they were laid on the couch together, his arms around her. He said with a sad smile,

"I'm going to miss you Sam."

She replied as she absently drew circles on his chest,

"I'm going to miss you too Daniel… you're not mad at me, are you?"

"Why would I be? I want you to go… we both know that the Universe is of far greater importance than ourselves. Colonel-Doctor Samantha Carter, the Pegasus galaxy needs you."

She smiled slightly and said with a sigh,

"You know what I'm going to miss the most?"

He quipped, smiling down at her,

"The memories of me being hormonal?"

She laughed out loud before replying,

"I'm _always_ going to remember that! No… I'm going to miss this… just hanging out with you."

She looked up at him and their lips met in a tender kiss that grew in passion and fervour. If Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood really did live inside television sets that portrayed their saga, they would have paused in that mountain top tavern long enough to wolf-whistle at the amorous scientists.

The scientists made love slowly and tenderly, savouring each moment as they contemplated the three months that lay before them.

Spent, they lay together, naked this time, and he drew an afghan over them before remarking with a chuckle,

"I hope you haven't knocked me up again."

She quipped with a grin, "Wouldn't you want James and Cammie to have a brother or sister?"

He groaned melodramatically and retorted,

"Sometimes I think you just want me for my body."

They laughed together, feeling lighter than usual, and she asked with a serious expression,

"Seriously Daniel… what are we going to do? I'm nearly forty-three and having Cammie was risky, and there is no way I'm unlocking that address just so you can get knocked up again."

He pouted, feigning annoyance, and said, "Good."

She smiled and continued, "I suppose we could consider adoption."

He lightly fingered her collarbone as he replied,

"I think we should just take each day as it comes… maybe play the adoption card when James and Cammie are a little older."

"Yeah, I was thinking in the long-term… heck, we probably wouldn't make candidates anyway what with our hectic lifestyle."

He kissed the top of her head, and replied,

"Maybe we'll get someone off-world, like how Janet got Cassie."

She sighed, relaxing in his arms, saying,

"Yeah… well, at least I had a baby before it became way too risky… thank you Daniel."

She reached up to kiss him, and he remarked, this time smiling,

"Sam, are you using me for my body?!"


	5. Bienvenue á l'Atlantis

SG-1, the Jacks, and the twins as well as Lee, Landry, Lam and Woolsey were gathered in the gateroom to see Sam off. Dressed in combat gear, she hugged her friends and held her children as Walter counted down the chevrons. The event horizon established, she saluted Landry and Jack, before Daniel kissed her tenderly. She hugged her children once more and whispered,

"Be good for Daddy and Uncle Jack."

With a lingering glance at Daniel, she walked up the ramp and stopped right before the event horizon. Fingering the chain of his St Christopher that hung under her t-shirt, she took a deep breath and walked through.

A molecular ride through a Carter-McKay bridge later, she removed her hat as she arrived in the gateroom at Atlantis, greeted by Weir, Teyla, and a wheel-chair bound Sheppard. Sam stepped towards Weir, standing to attention, and said,

"Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter reporting."

Weir shook her hand and said with a smile,

"Colonel, welcome to Atlantis… Teyla will show you to your quarters."

Sam nodded, smiling at Teyla and said,

"Hey Teyla, how're you doing?"

Teyla replied, "I am fine, Colonel Carter. May I enquire as to how Doctor Jackson and your children are?"

Sam remarked with a bemused smile as she walked away with the Athosian, followed by Sheppard,

"Boy, news travels fast… Daniel's doing fine, as are the twins. General O'Neill's threatening to teach them the booze alphabet."

Sheppard remarked, "Yeah that General's a character… it's Budweiser, Carlsberg, Coors, right?"

Sam nodded, replying with a grin,

"I bet he taught it to you too."

"Nah… it's what they teach jaded Air Force officers… has heavy beer overtones."

"How are the injuries? I couldn't believe it when I heard about them."

"Aw, nothing that won't heal… your Doc Brightman's given me three months which is seed money compared to what I've been through before. Times like these when I miss Carson… damn shame what happened to him."

Just as they reached their intended destination, they all heard McKay remark,

"Oh look who's come crawling back."

Sam spun around and rolled her eyes, saying,

"Hello McKay."

Sheppard remarked, a little testily,

"Careful _Meredith_, Carter's your CO now."

Sam smiled briefly at McKay's real first name, and McKay approached Sam, remarking,

"Just couldn't stay away could you, blue eyes?"

Instinctively she turned and raised her left hand, showing him the tasteful emerald set in a gold band that took pride of place on her ring finger. He stared at it, stunned, and stammered,

"Y-y-you're engaged?"

Sheppard and Teyla exchanged a surprised look, and Sam remarked with a flash of menace in her eyes,

"Yep… one little phone call to the Milky Way and you'll have 180 lb of formerly ascended Archaeologist on your ass, complete with a lemon, so I suggest that you tone down your usual obnoxiousness."

McKay looked at her, momentarily taking on certain characteristics exhibited by a typical goldfish, before he gathered himself together and said, drawing himself up to his full height as Sheppard and Teyla smirked,

"I can tone it down. I-I can do that… watch me."

He turned on his heel and briskly walked away, and Sheppard said with a smile as Sam turned around again,

"Congratulations on your engagement Carter."


	6. Private Grief

Earthside, Daniel stood in the doorway of his and Sam's bedroom and stared longingly at the bed. He slowly approached it, picking up her pillow, and sat down, holding it to himself. He breathed in her scent and when he closed his eyes, it felt as though she was right there next to him. He could almost hear her musical laughter as she laughed at his jokes, and as they made love. He sighed and whispered,

"I miss you."

Jack stood in the doorway watching him with an interesting expression on his face. He had witnessed firsthand Daniel's grief after losing Sha're, and the years the Archaeologist had spent searching for his beloved. He knew that normal people would never have been able to handle half the grief and pain that the younger man had experienced in his life, but he knew that Daniel was far from normal. He knew what to do - get him relaxed and opening up as opposed to tensing up and closing in on himself, something that was second nature to the General.

Checking on his godchildren, who incidentally were the godchildren of every member of SG-1 as well as Cassie and mini-Jack, he returned and said,

"Come on Daniel, let's get some beer down you."

Not moving, Daniel's muffled reply came,

"Go away."

Jack sat down next to the Archaeologist and pulled him into a hug, moving the pillow aside. Daniel whispered into the crook of his neck, his eyes shut,

"She's gone Jack."

Jack patted him on the back and said,

"But she's comin' back Daniel… these three months will fly by, you'll see. You've gotta think about James and Cammie - their Mom's not here."

He held the younger man at arm's length and continued,

"Come on, you can sit here sniffin' Carter's pillow until she comes back, or you can come downstairs and unwind that little highly strung head of yours. It's amazing what you can see with a couple of beers down you and no glasses."

Daniel looked up at him, his eyes showing his sadness, and replied with a slow smile,

"Thanks Jack, but I might turn out to be a cheap date."

"Well, more for me… the beer in D.C. is absolutely terrible."


	7. Daniel Disneyland

Many millions of light years away, in a completely different galaxy, Sam stood at a window in a darkened room, gazing at a view of the city at night. She sighed, remembering how Daniel had made human colonisation of the city possible, what with spending the best part of a year searching for it, and then spending the best part of two years trying to get there. She smiled slightly as she remembered his face on seeing the Atlantis skyline for the first time, and she remembered something Vala said, obviously repeated from Cam,

"_This place is like Daniel Disneyland."_

She hugged herself as a tear ran down her cheek, before she pulled his St Christopher from under her t-shirt and gazed at the charm in the palm of her hand. Etched on the back were the letters: C. B. J. More tears ran down her cheeks as she was reminded that Daniel had given her his most prized material possession, one of only a few things that Daniel had left of his parents.

She turned towards the bed and picked up a sealed envelope from the nightstand. The envelope bore Daniel's writing and had been poked into her rucksack without her knowing. Switching on the bedside lamp, she sat down, clutching a pillow as she traced his familiar hand with her thumbs. She slowly opened it and read the letter:

"_Dearest Samantha,_

_I miss you already and you've not left yet, although by the time that you find this, you will have left. I am so proud of you - go and show them how leading an SG team should be done. I know you'll be alright - well, you'll be more than alright what with you being absolutely amazing. I'm just proud that the strong, beautiful woman that I love is needed for the very same characteristics that I love about her._

_Whenever you feel lonely or blue, just hold onto Mom's St Christopher and I'll be right there by your side. The house and the SGC are going to feel so lonely without you being there… I'm going to miss going through the 'gate with you in our once a week arrangement. It's only three months and despite them feeling like an aeon, I'm positive that they will simply fly by._

_I wish you all the best with leading the team and I hope that you'll come home soon. I'll try to sing to the twins each night that I am home and I'll make sure that James eats his dinner instead of pouring it over his head like he tends to do._

_I love you, now and for eternity._

_Yours,_

_Daniel._

_PS: Enclosed are little things to remember the twins, and the rest of us by."_

Tears already running down her cheeks, she reached into the envelope and pulled out two photos. One of them was of Sam with her head rested on Daniel's shoulder and his arm around her as they held the twins in their laps. The other was of all of SG-1, Jack and Cassie at the twins' birthday party on the beach. She lay down and placed the photos next to her so that she could gaze at them as she drifted off to sleep. She whispered as she gazed at the first picture,

"I love you too Daniel. I hope these three months do fly by."

She kissed it before settling down, thinking about her family several million light years away.


	8. An Officer and an Archaeologist

One night, Jack held his godchildren in his lap as they watched Back to the Future III. Despite them not being able to string sentences together yet, he had a full blown, albeit one-sided conversation about the movie with them.

"Yep… time travelling DeLorean… ordinarily I'd tell you how ridiculous the idea is but when you've seen some of the stuff that I have, the line between plausible and ridiculous gets blurred big time. That Mad Dog Tannen could use a good punchin' though… where's a zat when you need one? You wanna know the best thing about this movie? Two words: Mary Steenburgen."

When Cammie looked at him a little strangely, he remarked,

"What? She's nice. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you did turn out just like your Mom, looking at me like that."

She replied, gurgling a little, "'ack."

"Or maybe not… _J_ack."

She frowned slightly and said, "Yack."

He smiled and corrected her, "No… _J_ack."

She giggled and said, "'ump ass."

He raised his eyebrows at her, making both her and James giggle, and said,

"Hmm, I think my younger self has been teachin' you some naughty words. Give it a year and you'll be sayin' that in five languages… oh, the shame."

James tapped him on the jaw, making Jack look at him and said, whimpering a little,

"'ommy."

Jack raised his eyebrows a little at the boy before realising that the boy couldn't possibly have mistaken him for a woman. With the hand that he held James with, he smoothed the little boy's hair, kissed his forehead and replied,

"Mommy's gone away but she's comin' back soon, and she'll bring you and Cammie presents."

James rested his head on Jack's shoulder, quietly whimpering as did Cammie on his other shoulder. Jack smoothed their hair and suddenly remembered Charlie. He smiled a sad smile at the memories of his late son having a mud bath, he and Sara rushing to stop the little boy eating worms, the time he caught scarlet fever… He sighed slightly and whispered to the two heads that gradually grew heavy,

"You two are the luckiest kids in the Universe."

He got up and was about to carry them upstairs when the front door opened and a tired Daniel appeared.

Noticing the sleepy heads, Daniel whispered,

"Hi Jack."

"Daniel. How was your day?"

"Very tiring… I'll tell you about it later… here let me help you."

"Ah, ah, ah, Uncle Grump ass has got it. You get yourself ready for bed - you look like crap."

"Thanks Jack… you're not so bad yourself… thanks for looking after them. Was there any trouble?"

"Oh little James here got a little upset asking where Carter was, and then Cammie joined in. It was just a little whimpering - nothin' major."

Surprised, Daniel asked, "He asked about Sam?"

"Not in so many words… despite being a Jackson, the little guy's only fourteen months old. Go on now, get."

Daniel followed Jack upstairs, where the latter laid the twins in their room. Daniel leant over each of their cribs, smoothing their fair hair and smiling slightly. He whispered,

"Goodnight you two."

--------------------

After Jack forced the younger man to get ready for bed, Daniel refused to go to sleep, not wanting to be alone, so he went downstairs with Jack. He glanced at the screen and remarked,

"Back to the Future III?!"

Jack retorted, imitating Qui Gon Jinn as he reached into the refrigerator,

"I have trained you well apprentice."

In his usual voice he asked, "Beer?"

"No thanks Jack… you know I can't handle much alcohol."

"That didn't stop you the other night."

"Jack, I was upset and _really_ shouldn't have drunk it."

"Daniel, it got you into bed… while I'm here, I'm not havin' you campin' out on the couch… you do realise that you'll get a bad back doin' that?!"

Daniel rolled his eyes before flicking through the channels, and Jack continued as he sat down next to the Archaeologist,

"You put the History Channel on, and there's gonna be blood. So… how was school?"

"Pretty bad. We got ambushed by a radical Jaffa sect and we all got zatted and imprisoned… They said that they'd release us if we accepted Origin. Mitchell told them to go to hell so he was winded by a punch, and Vala got a staff blast wound to the leg. Teal'c got clubbed a couple of times, and Jonas and I were electrocuted… like on Bedrosia…"

Jack, concerned, remarked,

"Pretty bad, my foot… shit. If I get my hands on those Jaffa, I'll break their freakin' necks. How did you escape? I assume you escaped somehow otherwise you wouldn't be here. Damn."

Daniel replied as kneaded his forehead with his knuckles,

"We escaped after Vala short-circuited the controls on the cell door. Lucky for us one of Teal'c's buddies was undercover and he gave us our weapons back… we shot our way out and ended up running three miles back to the 'gate in the pouring rain. Teal'c carried Vala over her shoulders and we were all covered in mud, and then got ambushed again. Jonas, Mitchell and I managed to hold them off long enough for Teal'c to get through and we quickly followed."

Jack pulled him into a hug and said,

"You're damn lucky you got home. How's Vala?"

"She'll pull through - she's already limping around the base with a cane making trouble. The rest of us are fine, although Teal'c's got a few painful bruises and cuts on his back but he'll live."

Jack held him at arm's length, forcing the Archaeologist to meet his gaze, and said,

"Daniel, I never told you after that thing with that sadistic Bedrosian bastard, but I was proud of how you stood your ground. That's something I've always liked about you."

"Fat lot of good it did… you and Sam were knocked out."

"But the important thing is that Teal'c didn't get discovered. You know that we'd do anything for each other, the original gang. Even when I got bumped up to B.G., we all volunteered to get Teal'c out of that chair. Regular combat teams with emotional ties as strong as ours would have been disbanded long ago but we stuck together and 'cos of that, we whupped ass and saved Earth and the galaxy so many times, especially you with your habit of dying."

He ruffled the Archaeologist's hair and remarked,

"So… miss Carter?"

Daniel retorted with a sad expression,

"Like you had to ask. I hope she's alright."

"She'll be fine Dannyboy… Carter's been through a lot worse - we all have. Oh, I shouldn't be tellin' you this so you gotta promise that you won't breath a word to Carter or anyone else…"

Daniel wearily said, "Ok… I'll probably regret this but… I promise I won't tell another soul, not even Sam."

"Carter's gettin' bumped up to full Colonel when she comes back and she's gonna be offered the post of SG-1 leader again. She only lost it 'cos we were all goin' our separate ways. I let Mitchell have the post 'cos of what he did. At the time I didn't think the original gang would be coming back."

Daniel replied, a little surprised,

"Sam kind of surmised the leader part, although she didn't see the full Colonel thing coming. How's Mitchell going to take it?"

"Well, he already said that he initially only wanted to be a part of the band and not the lead singer, and plus the little difficulties he has with ordering you guys around, what with three, ok, four of your being civilians and Carter being of equal rank to him."

Frowning slightly, Daniel asked, "Hang on a second… if Sam accepts the leader position, I can't be on the same team as her due to us being engaged."

Jack replied with a smile, "Already sorted that with the President - he knows that you, Carter and Teal'c _can't_ be separated and that you've proven yourselves more than capable of acting objectively in the field, time and time again. The IOA have grudgingly agreed with the big man but Carter will only officially be leader after you guys get hitched, not before. Until then, Mitchell's gonna be the leader on paper."

Daniel chuckled slightly and remarked,

"The way things are going, it'll be a miracle if we can get the wedding off the ground before the twins graduate high school."

Jack retorted as took a swig of beer, "The way those kids of yours are going, it means you only have a year."


	9. Big Mission Part I

Sam, in full combat gear, was stood in the Atlantis gateroom with McKay, Teyla, Lorne and Ronon, ready for a mission. Sheppard, in his wheelchair, sat next to a standing Weir who said to the team,

"Good luck, especially to you Colonel."

Sam nodded, replying, "Thank you Doctor."

Sheppard called as he reached into his pocket,

"McKay gives you any grief, give him a mouthful of this."

He tossed Sam a lemon, much to McKay's evident horror, and Weir, Lorne, Teyla and Ronon's amusement. Catching it, Sam replied as she stowed it in the pocket of her combat vest,

"Ah, the legendary anti-Meredith device. Thanks Sheppard - I'll keep that in mind."

McKay, floundering a little, remarked,

"Funny, very funny - I don't make fun of _your_ physical handicaps."

Sheppard retorted, "Just as well Rodney… for all you know, I could have another lemon in my pocket… or a bottle of lemon shower gel from the huge batch Earth sent us recently."

Weir remarked with an amused expression,

"Ok, break it up boys… the gate's only going to stay open for thirty-eight minutes. Rodney, try not to drive Colonel Carter to insanity."

Sam glanced around at her new team, silently missing her own team, before leading them through the event horizon.

--------------------

On the other side, before Sam could issue orders, the team were ambushed by a group of hostiles concealed within the surrounding greenery. Sam gave the order to return fire and a bitter fire fight ensued as the team took up positions around the DHD and 'gate. Eventually, the team, relatively unscathed, subdued enough of the hostiles and the rest ran away. Sam called,

"Teyla, Ronon, Lorne, McKay!"

Each one shouted in acknowledgement from their positions after their name, and she said,

"Right, we better leave this place quickly and get to the site. Ronon, me and you will gather their weapons… they looked pretty advanced. Lorne, you will make your way with Teyla and McKay to the Wraith shipyard - me and Ronon will catch up with you."

As Lorne acquiesced, wordlessly leading his charges away, Sam and Ronon, keeping their eyes peeled, stripped a few of the hostiles of their weaponry. He was about to also take small gadgets resembling communications devices but she said,

"No, they could have location beacons inside… come on, let's catch up with Lorne."

Constantly alert, Sam and Ronon jogged in the direction that their comrades had gone. They eventually caught up with them, and McKay remarked, eyeing the new weapons,

"Clever… sucking up to your military brass by bringing home something halfway decent. Hm, I wonder how they're powered - they don't have…"

Sam held up her hand and said, "McKay, leave it… you can drool over these when we get back… don't short-circuit them though 'cos I want a look."

Soon they found themselves on the edge of a rocky promontory, Sam instantly sticking her arm out to keep McKay from going straight over the edge. In the valley below, they saw a huge hive ship under construction. The team quickly crouched behind some rocks to discuss their options. Sam whispered,

"Right, going back to the 'gate is our last resort. The way I see it, we've got two viable options. One: we wait 'til nightfall and use the darkness to our advantage to gain access to the site, or two: we risk it during daylight hours before the remaining hostiles tattle on us."

Lorne replied, "Well Colonel, it would make sense to wait until nightfall - we could always conceal ourselves behind the rocks… whoever those people were or whoever they report to will assume that we went straight to the site. We've got the element of surprise with regard to having not only our own weaponry but theirs too."

Ronon said, peering up at the sky,

"Looks like nightfall's gonna be a few hours yet."

Teyla asked, "Would it not be prudent to scout the area whilst being concealed?"

Before Sam could reply, McKay remarked,

"Nothing like tripping over a stone that you didn't account for. _Oh, where did that come from? Hm, maybe we should've mapped it out earlier and plugged a GPS locator into it… oh wait, GPS… let's get those satellites up first…_"

Sam rolled her eyes at him, retorting,

"Does the phrase 'lemon in my pocket' not mean anything to you?!"

She turned to Teyla and said,

"Good idea," before turning to her second-in-command, and saying, "Lorne, you'll take Ronon and go that way; I'll take Teyla and McKay this way, and we'll meet again just before sun down - radio if you get into a tight spot."

She handed Lorne a couple of the new weapons as he replied,

"Yes Ma'am."

"Ok, move out!"

As Lorne and Ronon crouched behind rocks, slowly making their way around the promontory overlooking the site, Sam, Teyla and McKay did so in the opposite direction.

Constantly alert, the trio familiarised themselves with the lay of the land, Sam and Teyla taking note of any potential access points and sniper positions. Sam quietly remarked,

"This is certainly different from being on SG-1."

McKay retorted, "Yeah, the city _isn't_ dependent on your negligible scientific expertise."

Sam shook her head in disbelief and asked Teyla,

"How do you _not_ shoot him?"

"It is tempting, I will admit."

"I'll say."

Sam remarked to McKay, "Look, I could kick your ass any day, so keep the personal remarks to a minimum, ok?"

McKay rolled his eyes and said,

"Fine."


	10. Big Mission Part II

At sundown, the team regrouped in their initial position, and Lorne reported to Sam what he and Ronon had encountered.

"There's a large rocky slope around two kilometres in that direction that leads down into the site. As we were coming back this way, the workers left the site via the slope - luckily me and Ronon were hidden behind some rocks. It appears to be the only way in and out of the site, save from the top."

Ronon added, "If they know we're coming, they could have already rigged the path and we'd be walking into a trap."

Teyla replied, "But that is only if they know that we are coming. We did not witness anyone approaching the site from the direction of the Stargate to give any warning…"

Sam interrupted, "Hang on a second… their weapons were advanced so it's quite possible that they could have some sort of communications technology. Ronon and I found some kind of devices on the hostiles we stripped."

McKay remarked, "And you didn't think to steal them too!?"

Sam said quietly, "Locator beacon."

"You don't know that."

"Exactly. We haven't come for acquiring technology - we've come to blow this place skywards. To do that, we need to be able to do it uninterrupted, without being tracked by those guys."

Their surroundings darkened dramatically as the sun dipped below the horizon, and Sam whispered as the team huddled closer,

"Right, someone needs to stand at the top of the path to give us warning in case we're in danger of being ambushed again. Volunteers?"

Ronon replied, "I'll do it."

"Ok… everyone have your blocks of C-4, grenades and P-90s ready. We'll use the new weapons only as a last resort. We shoot any strangers on sight - that's shoot to incapacitate not shoot to kill. If it becomes necessary, the order becomes the latter, but that's only if your life's in danger. Ready?"

Everyone murmured in agreement and Lorne led them to the path. On the way, they nearly walked into a group of men on guard detail, but Sam zatted them. McKay remarked,

"You brought a zat?!"

"Call me moral but I refuse to lodge a bullet in someone's ass when an electrical charge will do."

With Ronon scanning his surroundings warily, the team slowly descended the slope, listening for the slightest noise that wasn't from them. McKay slipped, falling a little hard on his backside, and he muttered,

"I didn't sign up for rocks."

Lorne snickered as he and Sam helped the Physicist up, and Sam asked,

"You ok?"

"I suppose."

They reached the bottom of the slope where they wordlessly went about rigging the outside of the hive ship with blocks of C-4. Sam flashed a signal with the light of her P-90 and everyone set the timers before making a break for it up the slope. However they were soon embroiled in a fire fight from hostiles that they couldn't see. Ronon, with the aid of his night vision goggles took out a few of them, and Teyla, Sam and Lorne the rest, eventually, but not before a siren was sounded, alerting more hostiles.

Sam quietly but firmly shouted to her comrades,

"Go! We'll be trapped here."

Teyla dragged a stumbling McKay up the slope, followed by Lorne and then Sam, their P-90s ready. As they reached the top of the slope, energy weapons fire came from the valley below again, and Sam gave the order for everyone to throw their grenades. They then sprinted, Sam and Ronon at the rear, in the direction of the 'gate.

Soon they were chased by a group of hostiles, firing energy weapons, and Sam and Ronon took out as many as they could, the former forgoing her zat for her P-90. However, this was not before she was shot in the arm and Ronon in the shoulder. Despite their injuries, they kept on running and the chase momentarily paused as a huge explosion occurred in the valley behind them, sending up huge flames, chunks of debris and plumes of smoke that lingered far above the valley, the debris raining on the surrounding area, some of it falling very near the team. McKay dialled the 'gate and transmitted a code before they ran through the event horizon.

In the Atlantis gateroom, Sam and Teyla yelled for the shield to be activated and the technician did as he was told. Weir looked at them in concern and asked,

"What happened?"

Sam replied, clutching her arm, "Ronon and I need medical treatment - we were shot by energy weapons. We, uh, blew up the ship by the way."

Weir nodded in acknowledgement just as a team of medics led by Brightman ran in to escort the team to the Infirmary. Sheppard called,

"Good work Carter."


	11. First Steps Part I

One afternoon, while Jack cooked dinner, despite Daniel's repeated and vociferous protests, the Archaeologist decided to spend time with his children. With one seated on each knee and their heads resting against his shoulders, he read to them.

A few minutes later, James started getting restless, so Daniel paused before easing him down onto the floor. Cammie didn't seem to be uncomfortable in her position so he continued. However he stopped again when James held onto the couch and stood himself up before taking a few steps and stopping.

Intrigued, Daniel silently put the book down before carrying Cammie to the armchair in James' path. He called,

"James… come on, come to Daddy."

James beamed at him before taking some more steps, still holding onto the couch. When he reached the arm of the couch, Daniel smiled at him encouragingly and said,

"Come on James… just a few more steps."

Looking a little unsure, the boy hesitated for a moment before taking his first steps unaided. As Daniel smiled at his son, a tear rolled down his cheek as he thought how Sam had missed their son's first steps. Shrieking with laughter, James almost fell against Daniel, his hands palming the Archaeologist's knees.

"Well done James!"

Struck with inspiration, Daniel fetched James' teddy and placed it on the other side of the room, before saying,

"Go on James… get teddy."

Cammie began to get restless in Daniel's lap and he set her down. To his surprise, she stood up using his knees for support before taking her first steps towards the couch. She turned back and beamed at him, and Daniel said with a smile,

"Good job Cammie."

The little girl then followed her brother to the teddy. Daniel watched the two of them with a proud smile, wishing that Sam were there to witness this. James reached the teddy and Cammie held it too before the boy gave it to her. Daniel called,

"Uncle Jack?!"

Jack poked his head in from the kitchen and asked,

"What?"

"Your godchildren just took their first steps."

Jack grinned as he watched Daniel's stunned expression and he remarked as he picked up the children,

"Told you they were light years ahead."


	12. First Steps Part II

Cam and Teal'c let themselves into Sam and Daniel's house only to find Jack comforting an overcome looking Daniel as the twins napped on the couch. Cam asked, worried, as Teal'c conducted a quick visual check of the children,

"Everything alright?"

Jack replied with a smile as he gazed at Daniel,

"More than alright."

"Why's… why's Jackson upset?"

"Tears of joy."

Daniel composed himself, embarrassed, and replied with a smile,

"Sorry… the twins took their first steps and Sam's wasn't here to see it."

Teal'c smiled slightly and said as he hugged Daniel,

"That is good news DanielJackson."

Cam remarked with a grin,

"Yeah… aw, I'm sure Sam will get to see another first… if my nieces are anything to go by, you've got a whole surplus of firsts to come."

Daniel replied with a sad expression that gradually turned into a smile,

"But it's going to hurt Sam not being here for something as momentous as this… so… what brings you here? You're still on duty because you only got winded."

"Well, this is sorta official business… the General got word from Atlantis…"

Daniel suddenly sat down heavily, his head in his hands as he said, his mind running various scenarios,

"Oh God… it's Sam, isn't it?"

"No, well yes but not in _that_ way."

Noticing Daniel slowly going into shock, Cam knelt down next to the armchair and said firmly, deciding to omit anything about injuries,

"Jackson - Sam's fine. She's more than fine. The latest set of mission reports came in from Atlantis and Sam recently led the team in sabotaging an under construction Wraith hive ship. She kicked ass and got the whole team home safely despite coming under fire. She aced her first mission."

Jack remarked as he ruffled Daniel's hair,

"Told you she'd kick ass. You've got one ass-kicking fiancée there."

Daniel stared at the floor for a moment, mentally shaking himself, before breathing a sigh of relief. He remarked,

"You really had me there, Mitchell… I thought this was going to be one of those presenting dog tags moments."

He stood up and continued with a smile,

"Coffee?"

"Sorry, no can do Jackson - gotta get back on base… Teal'c's teaching SG-15 some moves and I'm due a sparring session with Pearce. We'll drop by later with Vala and Quinn - we just came to tell you about Sam."

"Thanks."

Cam said with a nod to Daniel and Jack,

"Later Jackson, Sir."

Teal'c bowed slightly before he and Cam left, and Jack remarked as he looked at Daniel calculatingly,

"You sure you're alright?"

Daniel quickly said, "Let me help you with dinner."

"Daniel… you're not clammin' up on me again."

Daniel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before saying,

"I'll be fine Jack… it's just going to take me a moment to pull myself back together again. It's unnerving being so far away from Sam and knowing that anything could happen."

"Hey, if everyone felt like that, no-one would go through the 'gate. If that offer's still open, I could use some help… I've heard rumours about your cooking."

Daniel chuckled, remarking as he became calmer,

"I didn't know corpses could talk."

"Hey Carter isn't a corpse… don't clam up."

"It's ok Jack… we've been going through the 'gate together for nine-ten years and have been through _a lot_ worse during that time. Hell, I died _twice,_ Sam got kidnapped by Fifth,Sam and I got pregnant…"

Jack ruffled the Archaeologist's hair and felt a little better when he sensed that Daniel's smile was genuine. He put an arm around him and remarked as they walked into the kitchen,

"Come on, you've gotta teach me how to make risotto some time. From what Carter… and Mitchell have said you've been holdin' out on us."

"Now Jack, I…"

"Oh quit being modest Daniel… Mitchell knows good food - that omelette of his impressed my girlfriend."

Daniel paused before exclaiming,

"You have a girlfriend?!"

Jack remarked with a smirk, "Yeah… her name's Sara Frances Phelps, soon to be O'Neill… again."

"Look who's been holding out on us! You didn't say anything about seeing Sara again."

"I didn't?"

"Um, no."

"Oh… I thought I just did."

Daniel rolled his eyes and said, "Jaack," as Jack smirked, turning up the gas under the pan he had been cooking with before stirring its contents.


	13. Team Social

On Atlantis, Sam, McKay and Zelenka ran a series of tests on the new weaponry that she and Ronon had procured. They worked in silence but Sam became increasingly aware that McKay was glancing at her ring. She unconsciously touched the string of her St Christopher, silently praying that it wouldn't come down to shooting the Canadian, when Zelenka asked,

"Colonel, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is that, uh, necklace around your neck? I notice that you touch it when you're stressed or worried."

Sam, a little surprised to find that she had been touching the string, replied as she pulled the charm out of her top to show the Czech,

"It's a St Christopher - it belonged to Daniel's Mom."

Zelenka murmured something in Czech before saying,

"Ah, Patron Saint of Travellers… I have a cousin named in his honour. That is a lucky necklace, Colonel."

"Apparently… come on Radek - you're not military, call me Sam."

As Sam replaced the charm, Zelenka replied,

"Sorry… Col… Sam."

McKay remarked with a sneer,

"Nothing like religion to enslave the ignorant masses… what possessed you to even wear that?! I know I called you an artist but this is taking it a bit too far."

Zelenka whispered, "He, uh, likes to cause trouble."

Sam replied, "I gathered."

She turned to McKay and retorted,

"McKay… shut up."

Sheppard wheeled up to them and asked,

"McKay giving you grief?"

Sam rolled her eyes and replied, "Not at all… how're you doing?"

"Just fine Carter… you finished? I was thinking we could go for a coffee."

McKay remarked, "Careful Sheppy m'boy, the lady's engaged."

Sheppard rolled his eyes and retorted, "_Meredith_, you kiss your mother with that mouth?!"

Zelenka said to Sam, "Go ahead Sam, there is not much left to do. Thank you for your assistance."

Sam smiled, replying, "Thanks Radek," before leaving with Sheppard as McKay called,

"Sell out."

--------------------

In the Atlantis equivalent of the SGC's commissary, the two Air Force officers sat opposite each other with mugs of coffee, and Sheppard asked her,

"So Carter… how're you settling in?"

Sam replied with a smile, "Not bad… I kinda miss home though."

"Can't be easy leaving your fiancé and kids behind… you got a photo of them?"

She wordlessly pulled a photo from her pocket, the one of her, Daniel and the twins, and he remarked with smile,

"Oh they're definitely Jacksons - they've got his eyes. Wow, I know I've only seen him a couple of times but I've never seen him smile _that_ much. He really does look happy… you two are made."

"Thanks… so how's things between you and the Doctor working out?"

Looking flummoxed for a brief moment, he gulped, asking in surprise,

"You, uh, you know about that?"

"Shep, I'm not blind… I've seen the way you look at each other. There shouldn't be a problem seeing as you're not on the same team and she isn't military. In fact, it should be easier for you than it is with me and Daniel."

He ran his fingers through his raven coloured hair as he replied with a sigh,

"I wish it was as simple as that Carter, but the IOA and SGC are pretty much on Elizabeth's back these days so there's no way they'd give us enough leeway and I'd rather die than lose her. She got depressed when those Ancients threw us back to the Milky Way. Bottom line is she's in the chain of command as the leader of this expedition and it'd be _inappropriate_ for us to have a relationship so we're stuck with the looks… I don't think she even sees me that way anyway… she's way out of my league."

"Oh don't say that. I reckon, given a chance, you could make each other very happy…"

Noticing McKay and Teyla's approach, she changed tack and continued,

"So, yeah, three months _is_ rather a short time… thanks for that Shep."

Flashing her a thankful smile as his friends sat down, Sheppard caught on quickly and replied,

"Yep - before you know it, you'll be home with Jackson and those very cute twins of yours. I, uh, trust that I'm invited?"

She said with a grin as Teyla looked at the photo and McKay looked very grim,

"Of course you are - Daniel and I want you all there."

McKay muttered, "Of course he does… to show off that he's marrying you."

Before Sam or Sheppard could reply, Teyla exclaimed with a grin,

"Oh those children are the cutest! The boy looks just like you Samantha. What are their names?"

Sam replied, grinning, "James and Cameron Carter-Jackson."

McKay remarked, "You named them after the director of the Titanic!?"

Sheppard retorted with an amused expression,

"Why _Meredith_, I'm surprised that someone of your _delectable_ character would know such a thing. Oh the shame - I thought you were a geek. Oh, Ronon's not gonna be very happy - we've got a betting pool with Lorne in favour of your geekiness."

McKay rolled his eyes at him, and Sam replied to McKay's remark,

"Nope, didn't name them after James Cameron - they're named after Cam and Janet."

Sheppard asked, "Oh… Mitchell and your former CMO?"

Sam nodded and then remembered her other photo. She pulled it from her pocket and showed it to them,

"That's the twins' first birthday party - mini-Jack took it right before Daniel proposed. You can see the whole gang there with Cassie."

Sheppard remarked, "Mini-Jack?!"

"Loki cloned the General three years ago and it kinda went wrong…"

"Oh, I heard about the clone - just didn't know that you guys called him that…"

McKay sneered, remarking, "The Asgard couldn't clone to save their life."

Sam replied with a shrug, "That's pretty much true," before continuing, getting a little annoyed,

"So _Doctor_ McKay… how far have _you_ come with cloning? Have you helped get rid of the Ancients' knowledge from General O'Neill's head on two occasions? Have you helped us in ridding the Milky Way of the Replicators? Have you given us a lot more than our other allies put together?!"

Sheppard and Teyla looked at her in surprise before proceeding to glare at McKay, who looked a little sheepish, and Sam continued,

"I didn't think so, so you better watch your mouth when you talk about the Asgard like that. They may have been arrogant but you didn't know Thor. Thor helped us out _a lot_ and now they're all gone."

Sheppard asked, "You ok, Carter?"

"I'm fine thanks… so, uh, when's the next mission?"

"Not for a couple of weeks yet, but hey, maybe something will pop up… they usually have a habit of doing that just when you think everything's as quiet as a mouse."

Just then Weir entered the room, looking around before seeing Sam. She approached their position and Sheppard straightened up, asking as he noted her determined expression,

"Hey Elizabeth - everything ok?"

Sam turned towards the leader of the Atlantis expedition, who said with a smile,

"Colonel, we received news from Earth - your twins have taken their first steps."

Surprised, Sam grinned and replied, "Wow, thanks Doctor."

She then gazed at the photos, and Sheppard asked Weir,

"You wanna join us?"

"Sorry - I've got to get back to my office - Mr Woolsey is due to call."

Sheppard made a face and remarked, "I believe it was Vala who referred to him as 'that disagreeable little man'. That pretty much sums him up."

Weir left with a smile on her face, as Sam remarked,

"You don't want to know what Vala accused Woolsey of doing."

"Oh? Let me guess - she accused him of… uh, dishonourable conduct."

Sam nodded, trying hard not to laugh, and McKay remarked,

"Told you - no morality in the Milky Way."

Sheppard retorted, "Oh yes, like you're Mr Morality… get out of here."

Lorne and Ronon joined them, the former remarking,

"Team meeting?"

Sheppard remarked, "Closest you'll get… in fact, it's let's poke McKay Day… didn't you know? There's flyer's out in the corridor."

Ronon replied gruffly, "I'd sign up for that."


	14. Football

Jack and SG-1 were playing ball with the twins in the park, the older man frequently picking up one of the twins under his arm and tackling his friends, resulting in a lot of laughs, and cries of 'Jaack!', 'Sir!', 'General!', and 'O'Neill!'. Vala joined in for short periods, as long as her staff blast wound would allow.

When Jack sat down, breathless but still laughing, Daniel sat down next to him. Watching the rest of SG-1 and the twins, Jack said as he calmed down,

"I haven't had this much fun since I antagonised Baal… to be honest, that wasn't fun anyway…"

"Yeah… I imagine."

Jack said, suddenly coy,

"So… just a couple of months left… I trust I'm invited…"

Daniel chuckled, replying,

"Don't be an ass Jack… of course you're invited… _if_ it gets off the ground. I get the feeling that something else is going to come up."

The younger man hugged his knees to his chest as he stared unseeing into the grass in front of him. Jack smoothed Daniel's hair back as he replied,

"Well, as Grandma O'Neill used to say, chin up young man."

Daniel chuckled sardonically, remarking,

"I'm hardly young."

"You're younger than me."

Daniel smiled slightly as he remarked,

"That doesn't necessarily make me young."

Jack pretended to look offended as he retorted,

"So… insulting a senior officer, eh?"

"Come on Jack… I'm a civilian."

"Damn fine civilian if you ask me…"

Their peaceful moment was shattered by the sudden sound of crying. Both men looked up to see Cammie sat down, bawling her eyes out, and the rest of SG-1 running towards her. Daniel immediately stood and quickly picked his daughter up, asking as he gazed down at her,

"What's wrong Cammie?"

She babbled incoherently, the only discernable word being 'Daddy'. He kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair, and asked Cam, who had reached them just as Daniel had picked her up,

"Did she fall over?"

"Yeah… she just went flat down on her butt… reminded me of my niece, Lyssa. She ok?"

Cammie had calmed down somewhat by then and was making Daniel's shirt front wet with tears and mucus. Daniel replied with a chuckle as he reached in his pocket for some tissues,

"Yeah, she's ok."

As he proceeded to tenderly mop her face, and his shirt, he felt a tugging on his trouser leg. He looked down to see James with tears in his eyes, looking up at him and Cammie. Jonas said with a smile,

"James is just like you, Doc… ah, Daniel."

Teal'c added, "Indeed. JamesCarterJackson impacted heavily on his mik'ta just now but was concerned more with enquiring after his sister."

Jack remarked as Daniel knelt down to the boy's level so the younger Jackson could see that his twin was alright,

"Just like Dannyboy."

James reached out to touch Cammie's red face, saying, "Cammie."

Cammie babbled something to her brother, and he smoothed her hair. Vala remarked,

"Wow… that's some one year old… when my brother was one, he stole my father's golden jug before selling it for fifteen Jebeles in the Floriana system… father was so impressed that he wept every night for a week."

Everyone exchanged odd glances at the story before gradually surmising that she could have meant a year on a planet with a different orbit rate. Before Daniel or Cam could make a remark, Cam's phone rang. He pulled it out, taking a look at the CLI. He quickly said before answering, "SGC."

"Mitchell… oh. Ok Sir… they're with me now… Yes Sir. Will do… Right… Bye."

He disconnected and quickly said,

"Landry wants us all on base - apparently SG-3 has come under attack on 835."

Everyone murmured in discontent, and Cam said,

"Jackson, you can sit this out if you want…"

Daniel glanced down at his children, unsure,

"Uh…"

Jack slapped Daniel on the back, saying with a smile,

"Go do your job Daniel… I'll take the twins home… Vala - you wanna help? I can't imagine Landry lettin' you go on a mission."

Vala replied with a smile,

"Of course…"

Cam beat Daniel to the cautionary remark,

"No influencin' 'em."

Vala just grinned at him as the active members of SG-1 sprinted towards Cam's SUV. Daniel hugged the twins, whispering, before joining his other friends,

"Be good for Uncle Jack and Auntie Vala."

Vala smiled at being referred to as 'Auntie' and she ruffled James' hair, picking him up and asking loudly,

"Are you any good at Pau'mac?"

Jack chuckled as he picked up Cammie, remarking as they made their way to his SUV,

"I see Teal'c's been teaching you the finer things in life… a word of advice though - don't play it with the big man himself - he can screw you out of a month's salary in three minutes flat."


	15. Cocky Marines

Having quickly suited up and being quickly briefed en route to the gateroom, SG-1, comprising of Cam, Daniel, Teal'c and Jonas stood in front of the 'gate, waiting for Walter to finish dialling the 'gate. Cam remarked as he looked around at his men,

"Well, _this_ is surreal… it's like a crazy l'il time warp."

Jonas looked a little sheepish at this but Daniel put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, just as the event horizon established. Landry said to them,

"According to Reynolds, four extra men should do it but…"

SG-2, headed up by Ferretti, entered the gateroom, the leader grinning on seeing Daniel. Landry continued,

"Just in case, take SG-2 with you. Good luck."

Cam nodded, replying, "Yes Sir."

And with that, SG-1 and 2 walked up the ramp and crossed the event horizon.

--------------------

The scene on P6X-835 was what a relaxed Cam would have described as 'hell and half of Georgia comin' to tea'. SG-3, one of whom was very badly wounded, were crouched behind trees and local geological features as they returned fire to a group of what appeared to be several Jaffa and Lucian Alliance members. Cam shouted to Ferretti,

"Ferretti, you and your men form a perimeter around the 'gate!"

Daniel yanked Jonas down to safety behind the DHD, saving the Kelownan from a staff blast aimed at him. Readying his 9mm, Jonas replied quickly,

"Thanks Daniel."

"No sweat."

Cam murmured to them as he and Teal'c crawled past them,

"Cover us."

Daniel nodded and the civilians offered covering fire for their friends as they made their way over to Reynolds and two of his men, one of whom was bleeding profusely from a staff blast wound to the chest. As Daniel, Jonas, SG-2 and two of SG-3 engaged in a horrific fire fight with the enemy, one of SG-3 received a staff blast to the leg. Still the man shot back at the enemy, his rigid Marine training taking over.

Daniel signalled to Ferretti to cover him as he half-crouched half-ran to the injured man's position. The man was screaming in pain but still shooting at the Jaffa and Lucian Alliance members. Noticing the Archaeologist's approach, he asked through gritted teeth,

"Doctor Jackson - d'you have a field dressing on you… and _maybe_ some morphine? I got some shrapnel in my arm too, and I can't get my supplies out."

Surprised at the man's persistence being better than he had originally thought, Daniel quickly reached into his pocket and went about treating the man. Calling back his thanks, the man kept on shooting, much to Daniel's amusement. One of Ferretti's men offered him covering fire as he returned to his position next to Jonas.

--------------------

Eventually the teams overcame the enemy and Daniel rushed over to see if he could help the other members of SG-3. He found the man who had a staff blast wound to his chest, bandaged but unconscious. Cam asked,

"Jackson, you ok?"

"Yeah… you?"

"Yeah."

"Teal'c?"

"I am fine."

Ferretti dialled the 'gate, remarking loudly,

"What a crazy, crazy, ass-kicking job we have!"

Teal'c and Cam carried the injured SG-3 member between them, as Daniel supported Reynolds as everyone made their way to the 'gate. The man who Daniel had helped earlier, clapped the Archaeologist on the shoulder, limping, and said with a grin,

"Thanks a lot Doc."

"Uh… aren't you hurting?"

The man remarked, squaring his shoulders,

"Oh yeah… a _lot_, but I'm a Marine."

Daniel chuckled, rolling his eyes at the man's cockiness, and the teams returned to Earth to be treated and debriefed.


	16. Building Bridges

Over in Atlantis it was night and Sam stood on a balcony overlooking the surrounding sea. She sighed as she watched the city's lights mingling with the water, thinking about what Daniel and the twins were up to. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear McKay's approach. He stood next to her, holding the railing and looking into the water.

Initially startled at his sudden presence, she took a deep breath and remarked,

"Come to scorn some more?"

He turned to her and remarked with a concerned expression,

"This isn't easy for me…"

"What?! Me being here… me being engaged… you being wrong half the time…?"

"No… this - I'm sorry."

"Ah… that _wasn't_ easy - I can tell."

He sighed and looked out at the water again, saying,

"I've been a fool, a total idiot. I'm sorry for the times I disrespected you, the times I heaped scorn on your oh-so creative ideas… I guess I'm jealous; not only of your creativity but of Doctor Jackson too."

A little surprised at the apology and confession, she raised her eyebrows slightly and remarked after a beat,

"You… you, uh, dying or somethin'?"

"Oh no… no…"

"Coerced?"

He struggled for a second before replying,

"Yeah."

"Thought so."

"Well… not totally. Over these couple of months, I've come to know you a little more. Before I only knew scientist-Sam, but I'm getting to know soldier-Sam too, and I've got to say… you're brilliant, as much as it pains me to say it. You've saved our bacon several times these past missions."

Smiling, she replied, briefly kissing him on the cheek,

"Thanks McKay."

Briefly surprised at the gesture, he remarked,

"Just once… just once would you just call me Rodney?"

She exhaled, joking with a smile,

"Ooh, now that's crossing a line. It'd be like crossing the line that you and Sheppard have crossed with the whole Meredith thing…"

He instantly retorted, "I don't know about John-boy, but _I'm_ not gay."

She said, shaking her head in disbelief,

"It was a joke McKay."

"Oh…"

"Yeah… you've got to work on that whole humour reception thing… you're very highly strung."

"Am not."

"Are too."

He huffed, remarking, "Well… can this humour-less cad take a look at a photo of your children?"

She smiled and dug out the picture from her pocket, replying,

"I thought you'd seen it already."

"I was a little annoyed then."

"Ah."

She brandished a flashlight so he could see and he remarked with an impressed expression,

"They're cute, I'll give you that. That Carter-Jackson DNA is really something… hey, can I be godfather to your next kid?"

She blushed, embarrassed, and replied, "Uh… if you behave yourself."

He smiled at her, doing a very bad Marlon Brando impression which made her laugh, and he remarked,

"I made you laugh so you've got to invite me to your wedding at least."

She remarked as she put the photo away, "I was going to do that anyway."


	17. The Return Part I

A close call with an all out Wraith attack in the Pegasus galaxy and a few more radical Jaffa attacks in the Milky Way galaxy later, the time had come for Sam to return home to the SGC. The Atlantis crew held a little leaving party in the Atlantis gateroom for her, each giving her small presents to remember them each by. Sheppard, now almost fit and well, hugged her and said,

"You did good Carter - you deserve the promotion."

"Thanks Shep… you take care of my team, ok?"

He remarked with a grin, "Sure soon-to-be full Colonel. Jackson's gonna be shocked to see your hair that long… it's surprising for me and I watched it grow!"

She chuckled, and Zelenka hugged her, saying,

"Thank you Colonel for helping us for these past months. I wish you good luck… I and the rest of the team will see you at your wedding."

"You sure will. Thanks… and Radek? It's Sam."

"Sorry."

McKay tentatively hugged her, saying,

"I'm going to miss you, blue eyes."

She smiled slightly, retorting,

"Gonna miss you too, _Meredith_. See you at the wedding."

Lorne saluted her and she said with a grin,

"You're a damn fine second-in-command, Lorne… take care of Shep."

"Will do Ma'am."

Ronon, Teyla and Weir each hugged her too, the latter remarking with dramatic flourish,

"The Milky Way awaits, Colonel. Thank you so much for taking over for Colonel Sheppard."

--------------------

Sam, swinging her backpack with glee, walked down the 'gate ramp, finally back home again. She waved up at Walter, who returned the gesture, saying into the microphone,

"Welcome home Colonel Carter."

"Thanks Walter!"

Landry stood at the base of the ramp and Sam dropped her backpack, removed her hat, and saluted the General. He saluted in return and said,

"Welcome back Colonel."

"It's good to be home, Sir…"

She glanced around the room, only to see Vala with a cane and the regular personnel, and continued, asking,

"Where's… where's Daniel, Sir?"

"Doctor Jackson and SG-1 are on a mission - they're due to return in three hours. I guess you've got some time to settle in. Get yourself checked out by Doctor Lam."

Picking up her pack again, she replied with a grin,

"Yes Sir!"

She greeted Vala and the two women made their way to the Infirmary, the former thief telling the concerned Colonel about how she had obtained her injury, before quickly assuring her that Daniel had been unscathed.


	18. The Return Part II

Dressed in BDUs, Sam and Vala waited in the gateroom with Landry for SG-1 to return from their mission. The gate activated on schedule and they heard Walter announce the transmission of an IDC code. Sam's heart beat faster on seeing Cam, Jonas, Daniel and then Teal'c emerge. Cam exclaimed with a grin,

"If it isn't our ass-whupping Astrophysicist-Colonel! Welcome back Sam!"

She barely heard him as she stared at Daniel, who paused on the gate ramp, staring back at her. Cam and Vala snickered quietly on watching the scene unfold as Teal'c, Jonas and Landry smiled slightly. Daniel slowly smiled before they quickly approached each other. He pulled her into a tight hug, sweeping her off her feet, and whispered,

"Oh God, I've missed you!"

She whispered back, "I missed you too."

They stayed in that way for a long time and their friends and most of the gateroom personnel left to give them some privacy, although a few nosy romantics peeked through the control room window.

Sam and Daniel eventually parted but only enough to look at each other. He reached up to touch her hair and remarked with a smile,

"You grew your hair out again."

She retorted with a grin, "Well, had to do _something_ for our wedding! You've lost weight."

"So have you."

He leant down and kissed her, tenderly, before whispering against her lips,

"I, uh, think we better go… we've got an audience."

She chuckled and remarked as she hugged him,

"One big family round here… come on, let's give them something to talk about."

He grinned before leaning down to kiss her again, a little more passionately, and she smiled as she imagined the faces of their control room audience as she snaked an arm around his neck, her other hand stopping just above his delectable derriere.


	19. Leader of Leaders

As Sam waited in the Observation room for Lam to perform her customary medical exam on Daniel, the rest of SG-1 joined her. Cam exclaimed with a grin,

"Sam… you never gave me that hug."

She replied with a grin, "Sorry… I got caught up in the moment. Here you go."

"I'll say."

She pulled him into a hug and he hugged her in return, remarking,

"Boy, what've they been doin' to you over in the other galaxy!? You're positively emaciated! You need some solid food down you, stat."

Vala chipped in with a grin,

"We'll take you out tonight… the Commissary's food is terrible, and you all know I'd eat anything."

Teal'c smiled and Jonas chuckled as Cam glanced towards Daniel down in the Infirmary and back at Sam, before saying,

"We'll, uh, do it tomorrow evening…"

As Teal'c and Jonas smiled knowingly, Vala asked,

"Why tomorrow? Why…?"

Suddenly she realised and remarked with a wink, making Sam blush,

"Oh yes, three months of repressed, shall we say, energy floating about…"

Cam shook his head slightly in disbelief before asking,

"So how was it?"

Sam replied as her blush faded,

"Oh it was great! I've never felt that great back when I led SG-1. I was channelling General O'Neill… my God, that man was the leader of leaders… no offence Cam…"

"It's ok - I know the General kicked ass - I read the reports."

Sam continued excitedly, "And Shep gave me his lucky lemon in case McKay got out of hand, but McKay became tolerable and then he apologised one day… I thought he was dying or something."

"Ooh, on Shep terms I see… he really let you call him Shep?"

"Yeah, 'course."

Teal'c said with a slight smile,

"You have been greatly missed ColonelCarter, not least by DanielJackson. He witnessed your children's first steps and was upset that you could not witness them."

Sam replied with a sad smile,

"Yeah Doc… I mean, Liz told me. I wish I could've seen them."

Cam said with a smile,

"They can pronounce Mommy and Daddy too without missing the first letter off."

"Oh wow."

Jonas added, "And James takes after Daniel… Cammie fell on her, ah, backside in the park one day and when Daniel picked her up, James came over, and despite, ah, falling himself, he was more preoccupied with asking after Cammie."

Teal'c said with a small smile, "Indeed."

All Sam could say was, "Oh wow," which pretty much became her mainstay, especially when Jack appeared, holding the twins. She gasped in surprise as he put them down, and she pulled them into a hug, saying as she closed her eyes,

"Oh God, I've missed you two! How've you been?"

She felt both James and Cammie's drool on her neck as they each said,

"Mommy."

She fought back the tears and stood up to salute Jack, who returned the gesture, saying with a smile,

"Hey Carter."

She replied as the twins held onto her legs,

"Thank you so much Sir for looking after them."

"It's the least I could do… so, how was it?"

"Absolutely fantastic Sir… I've never had so much off-world fun in my life. Oh and thank you."

"For what?"

"For being such a great leader… I was subconsciously channelling you out there and they were impressed."

"As they should be. You're welcome by the way. Word on the street is that you kicked ass. I just heard a report of you even injecting McKay with his insulin when he got ill on a mission."

"Wow, news travels fast."

"Yeah, that's what I said. Anyway, I'll just wait for Daniel - I've got to get back to Washington by this evening - turns out my temp can't cope with the paperwork… that makes two of us."

She chuckled and said, "Thanks Sir."

Cammie looked up at him and said,

"'cle Jack."

Everyone laughed and Jack remarked,

"That's an improvement… I got called 'ack and yack before now. Oh Carter… you, uh, you've got a big surprise… Dannyboy's coached them."

"Oh?"

"Never trust a linguist with your children."


	20. General Grump Ass

By the time Lam had finished, only Sam, Cam and Jack were left with the twins. Cam helped her by picking up Cammie, who had begun to think that sitting on Cam's boots was the funniest thing in the world, while James clung onto Sam's leg. They met the Archaeologist at the entrance to the Infirmary, and he kissed her before asking Jack,

"Uh Jack, you going back to D.C.?"

Jack remarked as he ruffled Daniel's hair, much to the latter's annoyance,

"Why you mind reader you… yeah, paperwork beckons. I tried to get out of it but it's too much for my temp."

Sam said with a smile, "It's ok Sir… we can manage."

Daniel smiled too and added, "Thanks Jack."

"Hey anytime, Space Monkey, Carter… I'm gonna make it to that wedding of yours, even if I have to resign."

Daniel rolled his eyes and Sam said with a bemused smile,

"Thanks Sir, but I'm sure it won't come to that."

"You take good care of yourselves, d'you hear? You both better start eating properly otherwise I'll be back here faster than a zat bolt."

Daniel threw him a cocky salute, cheekily remarking,

"Yes General Grump Ass."

Sam chuckled and said, "Yes Sir."

They both hugged him and they, as well as Cam, said their farewells to him. He knelt down to the children's level and said,

"You take good care of your folks, and I'll bring you something nice next time I drop by, capische?"

Cammie babbled before kissing him on the cheek, saying,

"Ta ta, Uncle Jack."

"Ta ta Cammie… and you James. I'm gonna miss you guys."

James said with a grin, "Uncle Grump Ass."

Daniel lightly scolded the boy, saying,

"James… naughty."

He just grinned up at him, and Cam remarked,

"Looks like Cammie's teachin' him a few things."

Jack added, "Look's like my younger self's teaching him a few things… alright you take care and I'll see ya."

"Bye Jack."

"Bye Sir."

Cam asked as Jack strolled down the corridor,

"You guys want me to stay the night?"

"It's ok Mitchell, thanks though."

"Thanks Cam."

They each hugged him and he said to them with a grin,

"Goodnight you two."

He hugged the twins before Sam said,

"See you tomorrow Cam."

"Yeah, see ya."

Daniel put his arm around Sam's waist as they walked down the corridor to the lifts, and she asked,

"Oh, uh, the General told me you coached them."

"Oh… yes… _Français_."

Before Sam could say anything, Cammie and James said in a vague chorus,

"_Bonjour._"

"_Espagnol."_

"_Hola."_

"_Ellenika."_

"_Geia Sou."_

"_Deutsch"_

"_Guten Tag."_

Sam stared down at the now tired looking twins. She stopped to pick James up as Daniel picked Cammie up, and she remarked with a stunned expression,

"You taught them how to say hello in four languages? That's certainly a start… wow."

She kissed him on the cheek as he reddened slightly, and she asked as they reached the lift,

"Hm, French, Spanish, and that last one was easily German… what was number three?"

"Greek."

"Ah… wow. Thank you Daniel."

He kissed her quickly before entering the lift, remarking,

"They've got a linguist for a Daddy."

She remarked, making him blush,

"A rather dashing Linguist if I may say so."


	21. Reconnections

After settling the twins down, they went to their bedroom. As soon as Daniel shut the door, Sam slammed him up against it, kissing him very passionately. When they parted, he looked at her with an amused expression, and she said as she began to unbutton his shirt,

"I haven't been near you for three months and it really did take all my will power not to jump you earlier…"

She paused and asked, a little embarrassed,

"You, uh, don't mind, do you?"

He said as he cupped her jaw,

"Oh Sam, why would I? You're forgetting that I haven't been anywhere near you for the same amount of time and I've been wanting to hold you for so damn long."

He kissed her before she took charge and they fell onto the bed, clothes and glasses flying. Naked, he paused on seeing her scars. He asked her, concerned,

"Uh, Sam? How did you get those scars?"

A little frustrated at him pausing, she replied as she gestured to each major scar,

"That one's a knife wound, as is that… we were on this planet where we were tortured for a while… that large cluster's from when I blew up a Wraith dart… that on my arm's from when we blew up a hive ship and were shot at on the way back to the 'gate… now can we…"

She paused on noticing his wounds and asked as she lightly traced the large ones,

"Whoa, where… where did those come from?"

He replied, "Various radical Jaffa sects holding us against our will or attacking us… I even got electrocuted once along with Jonas."

Shocked, she asked, "Oh my God… was it like Bedrosia?"

He nodded, the memories still fresh, and she replied, kissing him,

"You did great then Daniel… lesser men would've caved in and Teal'c would've been caught."

"But you and Jack…"

"No Daniel… that bastard picked on you because you're a civilian. If I find him again, I'll shove a few P-90 bullets up his ass and see how he likes it."

"Oh Sam… I've missed you."

"I've missed you like crazy… it was so odd going through the 'gate without you… McKay was a total prick but then he apologised later on."

Noticing the St Christopher between them on the bed, he picked it up and remarked with a grin,

"I see you kept that."

"Never took it off… well, except for now… Come here you…"

She pulled him in for a kiss, and soon they were making love, fast and furiously, their need for each other overwhelming everything else. He whispered,

"I love you Samantha."

"I love you too Daniel."


	22. A Lactating Colonel

Sam woke up feeling warmer than she had been for the previous three months, a strong arm around her waist. She gently caressed the arm, smiling that she was back in Daniel's arms again. He stirred and kissed her shoulder, but before she could turn to face him, she felt his fingers trailing across various parts of her back. He then said,

"Sam… you never told me where those marks on your back were from…"

She sighed, knowing that this moment would come sooner or later, and she replied,

"It's nothing Daniel… they're just some old things."

"Sam…"

She sighed again before saying,

"Ok… they're from Simarka."

She felt him tense behind her so she turned over to face him, noticing how shocked he looked. He asked cautiously,

"How did you get them?"

She closed her eyes, replying,

"Turghan… after I tried to escape and his goons caught me, he was going to whip one of his wives as a punishment for allowing me to leave the camp, so I said something along the lines of 'if you need to hit someone to feel even more like a man then hit me'. He, ah, whipped me several times… I didn't want to tell you guys anything about them and they would've healed in time but they got a little septic a few years back."

She opened her eyes to see that he was crying. She touched his jaw and said,

"Oh Daniel, please don't cry - it wasn't your fault. Turghan was a sadistic, misogynistic bastard and I kicked his ass."

He replied as she dried his tears,

"It _was_ my fault. If I hadn't had been so insistent regarding posing as Anthropologist, we could've gone straight back through the 'gate… God knows what he could have done to you… he could have raped you… he…"

She put a finger to his lips, silencing him as she said,

"No Daniel, don't torture yourself. It was never your fault. He was just a creep."

He closed his eyes, still upset, and she kissed him. He melted against her and returned the gesture, before she pulled back and asked, surprised,

"Uh, Daniel… why do you taste like breast milk?"

Confused for a second, he said, blushing,

"I didn't want to say anything last night but, uh, you were lactating while we were…"

Slowly realising what had happened, she chuckled and he looked at her puzzled. He said,

"That's not normal."

"On the contrary… you were… uh…"

She finished the sentence, whispering in his ear, and his eyes widened in surprise before he exclaimed, still blushing,

"I made you start again?!"

"I read about it online…"

She chuckled before kissing him again, remarking,

"You have seriously got a boob obsession, Doctor Jackson, but I suppose I should be flattered."


	23. SG Toddlers

Sam pulled a t-shirt on before going into the nursery, only to find Cammie out of her crib and in the process of helping James out of his. She remarked in surprise,

"Boy, with those escaping skills, you'll be out in the field in no time."

She called out of the door with a grin,

"Jackson, that daughter of yours just escaped from her crib and is busting James out."

Daniel came in, bemused, just in time to see Cammie help James out, and he chuckled at the sight before Sam stopped them from falling over. She picked up James and he picked up Cammie, and he remarked,

"These two could form their own SG team… I wonder if the General will approve."

She retorted with a grin as they made their way into the bathroom,

"If not, some of their drool will be enough to persuade him."

--------------------

After breakfast, the scientists took their children into the back yard, where they ran around before falling down on their backsides frequently, although they didn't cry. After Daniel went inside to answer the phone, however, they got into a little fight over the ball, and Cammie pushed James flat on his back. Before Sam could admonish the girl, James lay on his back, howling before tripping his sister up. Sam stared at them in disbelief before running to them.

She said to a now bawling Cammie,

"You shouldn't have hit your brother, and…"

She turned to still bawling James and continued,

"… you James Carter-Jackson shouldn't have hit your sister."

They both stared up at her, Cammie babbling something around the word 'ball', and Sam picked them both up as Daniel came out, calling,

"What happened?"

Sam remarked, "Oh nothing - that daughter of yours pushed her brother over before the little man busted some Jackson moves… seriously, when he fell down, he willingly tripped her up."

Surprised, he exclaimed, "They did what?!"

She nodded to back up what she had said, and he remarked, surprised,

"Those two aren't even in their terrible twos yet… oh great, they'll be bouncing off the walls in no time… first busting her brother out of baby prison, and now this… sheesh, they'll be robbing banks next."

She retorted with an unsure expression,

"With our combined IQ, I wouldn't put it past them… certainly puts a new spin on that whole Nature Vs Nurture debate."


	24. Planning and a Gift

With the whole of SG-1 around Sam and Daniel's kitchen table, Sam remarked with a grin as she held James in her lap,

"It's just as well you guys have come - we thought the wedding should be team-managed… especially seeing as there's a ninety-five percent chance that something will happen on the big day resulting in us having to split."

Daniel added, chuckling, as he held Cammie in his lap,

"Yeah, nothing like everyone talking about _that wedding where the bride _**_and_**_ groom ran away_."

Cam remarked, "Yeah but if you're gonna invite peeps from the SGC, it's gonna be _the wedding where the bride, the groom _**_and_**_ most of the guests ran away…_ wow, your brother and his family are gonna be so freaked out Sam."

Sam chuckled, and Vala asked,

"Why don't you get him clearance and have the wedding on base?"

Teal'c replied, "I do not believe that the President would agree for someone not involved in the programme to be present when someone attempts to dial the Stargate."

Cam remarked, patting Teal'c on the back,

"You'll have the Tok'ra finally decidin' to pay a visit and poor Mark and his kids runnin' for the hills as soon as there's a little demo of them goin' twofer."

Jonas said, "If you have it _off_-base, you're going to have to, ah, get sufficient clearance for me, Vala, Teal'c and Nyan… and you might want the Tok'ra, the Nox and a whole lot of other people from off-world."

Daniel glanced at Sam and said, "He's right… we're in what the Jacks would call a dilly of a pickle, but what if we were to have two ceremonies? That way the SGC personnel could relax on base and not have to watch every thing they say in case they say something classified to someone not in the programme… and you can have Mark and his family in a little off-base ceremony with SG-1, Cassie and the Jacks."

Cam remarked with a grin, "Think of the presents… two weddings."

Sam replied with a slight frown,

"That's definitely going to take a military operation to organise."

Cam remarked, "Hey, if you're after military, you're in luck, _Samantha_ - we have, drum roll please,… an L T Colonel here, a former First Prime, a former Colonel who's now an eighteen year old, and a couple of Generals… hell, I'm sure Walter'll want to be in on this too… and General O'Neill claims that the President watches Days of our Lives with a tub of ice-cream in the Oval Office, which I gotta admit is a lot better than what's _allegedly_ been goin' on in that same office."

Vala asked, curious, "What would that be?"

Daniel covered his face with a hand, saying,

"Now you've done it Mitchell."

Cam whispered something into her ear and she remarked aloud,

"The President dressed in a Barney suit and did toe-touches next to the window!? Is that what you're so cautious about?! Holy cow, you Earth-borns are a bunch of prudes… I mean, it's not like he…"

Daniel held up a hand, his eyes closed as he said,

"Stop right there Vala… there are children present."

She retorted with a coy smile,

"What? How is dressing up as Wee Wee Kitty and playing with Pokemôn cards something not deemed mentionable in front of the Carter-Jackson twins!? Wow, Jack _was_ right - you _do_ have filthy minds."

Everyone exchanged uneasy albeit bemused glances before Cam said, glaring at Vala,

"Moving swiftly on, faster than the speed of light in two hundred realities multiplied by each other… we need to draw up an invitation list first… hey, are you guys gonna register for gifts?"

Sam chuckled, replying, "Why? We don't need anything _householdy_… although we could get some freebies."

Daniel joked, trying for the innocent look,

"Yeah, I've always wanted a new Egyptian dictionary…"

Sam retorted, "Honey, I don't think any of the bookshops in Colorado Springs do wedding registries."

Suddenly she remembered something, asking,

"You… you didn't get your birthday present?"

He shrugged, saying softly with a smile,

"I did - I got you back safe."

The rest of SG-1 smiled at the show of affection, Cam squeezing Vala's thigh under the table to stop her from saying something embarrassing. Sam chuckled before getting up, still holding James, as she stretched, reaching for something on top of a cupboard, before pulling a small parcel down.

Cam remarked with a cheeky grin,

"A little late for contraceptives."

Daniel went three shades of red within a few seconds, and Vala remarked, elbowing Cam,

"Huh, you squeezed my thigh so I wouldn't say anything untoward and _you_ come out with contraceptives in front of the twins?"

Cam rolled his eyes and retorted,

"Vala… I only said it once and it's a very long word… You keep on repeatin' it an' poor Sam and Jackson'll be havin' an extended leave so they can get psychological help."

Sam looked at them oddly before kissing a surprised Daniel on the cheek and handing him the parcel, saying,

"Happy Belated Birthday, Doctor Jackson."

She sat down, James in her lap, as everyone watched Daniel's surprised face with barely suppressed amusement. He stared at Sam for a long moment and then back at the parcel in front of him. Before Cam could even make a remark, Cammie patted the parcel before picking it up and dropping it on the table a few times. Sam remarked, smiling as everyone else laughed,

"Daniel… you might want to open it before Cammie works out how to crack the table… or your present."

Still stunned, he carefully opened the paper, his fiancée unable to _not_ notice his long fingers. Vala remarked,

"Daniel does have nice fingers."

Sam replied with a grin as she watched him blush,

"Aw, you made him blush. He sure does… they're a nice colour too - reminds me of milk."

The poor Archaeologist blushed deeper than anyone had ever seen him blush, and Teal'c staged whispered to Jonas,

"I believe that the word 'milk' is a code word between ColonelCarter and DanielJackson."

Jonas nodded and stage whispered back,

"Those poor children…"

Sam chuckled as Daniel continued to open his present, and everyone laughed when he gasped in surprise. They laughed even harder when Cammie grabbed the paper and started whacking it on the table. He, his gaze focussed on the gift, distractedly took the paper from her hands before placing it out of reach in the middle of the table. He swallowed and said in an awed voice as he gazed at Sam,

"Thank you Sam."

Cam asked, curious as to the Archaeologist's reaction,

"What is it? It looks like a book from here."

Sam grinned as Daniel said in the same tone of voice,

"It's a reprint of Champollion's Egyptian dictionary and grammar… dear God, these are so rare…"

When Cam still looked puzzled, Jonas quickly explained,

"Jean-François Champollion was a French Archaeologist and linguist who, ah, deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics. He started writing a dictionary of the language spoken by the Ancient Egyptians called Coptic aged just nineteen Earth years, which was published after his death by his brother."

Daniel added, almost awed to tears,

"He discovered the link between non-hieroglyphs and hieroglyphs, allowing for the previously cryptic script to be deciphered… oh wow."

Cam remarked with a bemused expression,

"Pfft, Archaeologists."

Daniel got up and kissed a very amused Sam in gratitude, resulting in Cam and Vala cheering and whooping at them. Daniel whispered as he hugged her with one arm,

"Oh Sam… thank you."

"You're welcome… that sort of payment is more than welcome."

As Daniel stood up, still smiling, Cammie took the opportunity to steal his glasses, and Cam loudly remarked,

"Oh no, Vala's been teachin' her."

Vala playfully hit him, retorting, "_I've_ been teaching her?! You're the one who took Cammie out shopping to get more female attention."

Sam and Daniel both glanced at Cam in surprise as he rolled his eyes, saying,

"I did _not_ take Cammie shopping - General O'Neill did."

"Hard to tell the difference - are you sure he isn't your father?!"

"Yes… you may or may not have noticed but I'm a Mitchell and not an O'Neill."

Daniel couldn't help but remark,

"Yeah, O'Neills have a propensity to hide their intelligence, go fishing, and drink beer and Guinness. Thank God I'm engaged to Sam… sitting by that pond in Minnesota would have made me nuts."

Everyone laughed as Sam retorted, hand on hip, pretending to look annoyed,

"Oh, so now instead of seeing Cam, you were actually seeing the General… oh, poor, poor Cam… cheated on by an Archaeologist with long fingers."

Cam laughed as Daniel blushed, remarking,

"What's with the fingers thing?"

Sam blinked at him innocently, replying,

"What? He has nice fingers… I would've thought that you of all people would have noticed."

Vala remarked loudly, winking at Daniel,

"Oh dearie me, _Colonel Mitchell_… you better watch out that I don't change the locks."


	25. A Promotion

SG-1, Jack, the twins, Landry, Hammond, Weir, Woolsey and almost all of the SGC personnel were gathered in the gateroom for Sam's promotion to full Colonel, the military personnel dressed in dress blues. Sam's longish hair was swept back and up into a clip, which Daniel found very hard not to stare at, much to his friends' amusement. James was dressed in a little suit and Cammie in a dress as they quietly looked up at a smiling Sam.

Landry, as Commander of base, delivered a short speech, summarising Sam's career at the SGC and her brief spell in Atlantis. As he pinned Sam's new insignia on, Walter read her commendation:

"The President of these United States has placed greater trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity and abilities, above and beyond the call of duty, of Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter is promoted to the grade of Colonel, United States Air Force."

Landry and Sam saluted each other, as her friends ranged from grinning widely to smiling slightly, before she recited her oath. Despite the solemnity of the occasion, Vala shouted out after Sam had finished,

"Three cheers for the full Colonel! Hip, hip!"

Everyone else collectively shrugged before shouting,

"Hooray!"

Sam and Daniel grinned at each other, his arm around her waist as everyone came to congratulate them, Jack remarking with a squeeze of her shoulder,

"One step away from Brigadier-General."

She held Cammie's hand and replied, blushing,

"That'll be some years off yet, Sir."

Cam clapped her on the shoulder before asking,

"What about the band? With you promoted, you'll end up leading another team."

Daniel chewed his lip, unsure if he should reveal what Jack had told him, when Jack, noticing Daniel's lip, caught the Archaeologist's gaze and shook his head slightly. Sam replied with a shrug,

"Maybe. I'm going to miss SG-1 if that's the case."

Cammie chose that moment to shout out, much to Sam's relief,

"Uncle Cam!"

Cam patted the little girl's head before looking at Sam a little oddly, and saying,

"Something's goin' on… I didn't hear about you movin'… oh."

"What?"

"You're gettin' your command back, aren't you?"

She shrugged and replied, "I really don't know - they just whisked me off to Atlantis for three months."

"Exactly… aw Sam… you really do deserve it. I always thought it was unfair that you had lost it because of the reshuffle but you didn't seem to mind."

"I didn't and I still don't - you're a good leader."

He hugged her briefly and replied, "If you do get it back, I want you to know that I'll be rootin' for you, as we all will… judgin' by that smile on Jackson's face, he's already rootin for ya."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not…my pride's hurt but that'll heal. You had a chance to shine again over in Atlantis, and judgin' by those mission reports I read, you whupped ass and everyone got impressed."

"Cam, if it's true, I'm not accepting it if you're upset."

"Aw Sam…"

"We'll just wait and see Cam… no-one's said anything."

Weir approached her, shaking her hand and saying with a smile as Cam wandered off with James,

"Congratulations on your promotion, Colonel… will you be hand-delivering your wedding invitation?"

Sam replied with a grin as she gazed down at Cammie,

"If they'll let me… oh, Doctor, this is my daughter, Cameron… and that little boy that Cam's in the process of selling is her twin brother James."

Weir remarked as she smile down at the little girl,

"Teyla was right - they are _very_ cute… they've got Doctor Jackson's eyes."

Sam chuckled just as Daniel approached, shaking Weir's hand and saying,

"Hi Doctor Weir, nice to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, Doctor Jackson… if the SGC will let you, you and the Colonel could hand-deliver your wedding invitation to Atlantis."

Daniel smiled, remarking,

"That's going to be a great story for when the twins are older - _your mother and I travelled to the legendary city of Atlantis to deliver our wedding invitations._"

Weir retorted with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow,

"Ah, the questions that that would provoke - the programme would have to be declassified so that telling your children a bedtime story isn't tantamount to treason."


	26. Uncle George

_ok, um, I seem to think that BDUs are what they wear on base, but they could be what they wear on missions... Meh, I'll start my own vocubulary... BDU what they wear on base; combat gear what they wear on missions... Nice. Mind you, I'll sort it out in the sequel._

-------------------

After the ceremony, and dressed in BDUs, Sam held James to her hip as she went in search of Hammond. She and Daniel had only managed to talk to him for a few snatched moments during the ceremony before he was waylaid by Woolsey. As she walked through the corridors, various personnel congratulated her on her promotion and/or cooed at James, the little man enjoying the attention.

She knocked on Landry's door, poked her head in and said,

"Sorry Sir, but have you seen General Hammond?"

Landry replied, smiling slightly at James who took to playing with his mother's hair,

"He left just a minute ago, saying he wanted to talk to you."

"Oh… thanks Sir."

She was about to close the door again when he said,

"Colonel, after you've talked to George, can you come back here… preferably without James…?"

Surprised, she asked, "Do you need Daniel too?"

"The whole team."

"Ah…"

He said with a smile, "Don't worry Colonel - I'm sure Carolyn and the Nurses would just love to look after the twins… that's all she seems to talk about these days."

Flashing him a grateful smile, she replied,

"Thank you Sir… I'll tell Cam if I see him."

"That won't be necessary but thanks."

She shut the door, smiling, and went in search of Hammond again.

--------------------

Sam walked into her office and stopped in her tracks on seeing none other than Hammond holding a giggling Cammie on his knee as Daniel perched on Sam's desk, talking. Both Daniel and Hammond looked up, and Sam said with a grin as she stepped closer,

"General Hammond, Sir! I was just looking for you."

Hammond replied with a smile,

"So Doctor Jackson has been telling me… Sam, I'm no longer in your chain of command - you can call me Uncle George again."

"Yes Si… uh, Uncle George… it's weird. I've been calling you General and Sir for fourteen years."

Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing, as Hammond replied,

"Almost a lifetime… wow."

He peered at James and remarked,

"He looks exactly like Mark did at that age."

Sam smiled as she handed James to him, and Daniel politely remarked,

"He's a Carter with Jackson eyes."

Hammond compared the twins as they took to poking the buttons and insignia on the jacket of his dress blues, and he remarked with a smile,

"Cammie looks a lot more like you Doctor Jackson, despite behaving like a Carter."

He said this just as Cammie pulled his ear, and Daniel admonished her, saying,

"Cammie, no… that's bad."

Cammie giggled, and James said to her,

"Bad Cammie."

She replied, "FUBAR."

Sam, embarrassed, picked Cammie up, saying,

"I'm so sorry Sir… uh, Uncle George… she's the more boisterous twin, although I wonder where she picked that word up."

Hammond replied as James leant his head on his shoulder, the General smoothing his downy hair,

"It's ok Sam… my granddaughters have done worse… Has Hank informed you of what is to come following your promotion?"

Daniel remained quiet as Sam replied,

"No… but I'm guessing that it's a command because I'm now a higher rank than Cam… it'll probably be SG-4 though, because Cam's got SG-1, Ferretti's got SG-2, and Reynolds has got SG-3, and they're all doing a good job."

"It's SG-1."

Despite guessing this somewhat already, she couldn't help but be surprised. She put Cammie down on the floor, before looking across at Daniel. When he didn't appear surprised, she asked,

"You knew?"

"Sorry Sam… Jack swore me to secrecy."

Hammond continued, "Jack only gave Colonel Mitchell command because you, Doctor Jackson and Teal'c were all going your separate ways. He stayed in command when he got his _band_ back together because he's been doing a very good job, but I think that it's about time that you were given your command back… not that it's my decision anyway, but the President and the Joint Chiefs agree. I read the Atlantis mission reports and I have to say that I am very impressed with what you accomplished within three months."

Embarrassed, she looked at her feet as she replied,

"Uh, thanks Uncle George… but I think General O'Neill's the one to thank - he's had a big influence on me… on us all."

"That's for sure."

He glanced at his watch before saying as Daniel took James,

"I would love to stay longer but my plane leaves in an hour… I'll try and visit for longer next time and see Cassie."

He stood up and Daniel quickly glanced at Sam, saying,

"Uh, Sam?"

Remembering why she wanted to talk to Hammond in the first place, she said shyly,

"Oh sorry… I nearly forgot. Um, Sir…, would you do me the honour of giving me away?"

Suddenly smiling, he replied,

"Why of course Sam… I walked your mother down the aisle… the honour's mine."

She replied as she pulled him into a hug, "Thank you, Uncle George."

Daniel remarked with a smile, "Asking Uncle George - check."


	27. Job Offer

SG-1 were gathered in Landry's office with Jack, as the latter said to Sam,

"Ok Carter… the President, the Joint Chiefs and us two think that this is a good idea that you're offered your command again. Once you accept, you'll only officially be the leader after you and Daniel tie the knot… in the mean time Mitchell will be acting leader. It's a crazy little condition thrown into the deal by the jealous-much NID."

Landry added, "Of course you don't have to agree now - you can take your time and confer with your team-mates."

Daniel squeezed Sam's hand in support as she looked across at Cam, who said with a smile,

"We'll be rootin' for ya whatever you decide, Sam."

Sam sighed and said to Jack and Landry,

"Well, the thing is Sirs, Cam is doing a good job and he's had the command for three years now, whereas I only had it a year. I'll admit that I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the Pegasus galaxy taking on a leadership role but I don't think I can do that to Cam…"

Jack replied, "Well, it's gonna be odd you being a full Colonel and being under his command… I mean it was pretty gnarly with you being the same rank… now there's a definite chain of command. You can be given another team if you want though… I think…"

Sam said, interrupting him, "Sorry for interrupting, but I'd rather stay on SG-1… we all would."

"Which is a good thing 'cos the President himself knows that you, T-man and Dannyboy get the job done. I think Mitchell learnt that as soon as he was shipped out here."

Cam replied, "Yes Sir…"

He turned to Sam and said,

"Sam, I want you to take the command… you deserve it. You've got far more combat experience than I have."

Daniel said, "It'll just be like old times again when Jack was in charge of the SGC."

Teal'c remarked with a small smile,

"Indeed."

Jack smiled fondly at the memory, remarking,

"I miss this place."

He then said to Sam, "No pressure, Carter."

She looked down at her hands before saying to Daniel,

"I don't suppose it'll hurt to use the Nursery on level 14 if I'm going to go full time… we were going to do it after they were two but five months earlier can't hurt… and we'll be spending our leave with them."

Everyone, including Daniel, looked at her in surprise, and Jack asked,

"Is that a 'yes' Carter?"

She looked up, smiling, and said,

"Yes Sir."

Cam patted her on the shoulder, saying with a grin,

"Dinner's on me… uh, tomorrow."

Sam and Daniel blushed slightly as everyone got up to leave, and Jack said,

"Okie dokey kids… go and enjoy your downtime. Carter, Daniel, get your asses off of Hank's base - no sneaking work home."

Everyone laughed as Daniel remarked sarcastically,

"Oh… will you do it Jack? Thank you. It'll save me being bugged by Nyan for an hour straight about Mayan ciphers."

Jack retorted, "Don't push it."


	28. Milk Fingers

SG-1's last evening of downtime, Sam settled the twins down before coming back downstairs to the kitchen. As she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice, she heard the front door open and she called as she poured some juice into a glass,

"I'm in the kitchen."

A few seconds later, Daniel appeared in the doorway, and said with a tired smile as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her,

"Hey full Colonel… sorry I'm late - Balinsky royally screwed up a Goa'uld translation… Ish'ta dropped in and she and Teal'c had a huge, blazing row… and _then,_ on the way home, this woman's tyre blew out on the Expressway so I helped her out."

She remarked in a husky voice as her knees felt weak,

"Hmm, coming from another guy, I wouldn't believe a word."

He retorted as he turned her around and lifted her up onto the worktop,

"I'm not like other guys."

She remarked with a grin, "I gathered."

They kissed, when suddenly his mobile started buzzing through his jeans pocket against her leg, making her giggle. He reluctantly pulled away to check it before saying as he stopped the buzzing,

"It's only Balinsky again."

He resumed kissing her, their arms around each other, when she pulled away and whispered against his neck,

"Hm, Daniel… as much as I wouldn't mind shirking our professional responsibilities, they're still there… go and help Balinsky. I'll still be here when you get back… the guy can't keep you there all night."

"He'll try… are you sure? He can wait."

She kissed him tenderly, remarking as she slid off the worktop,

"Honey, the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back."

"Hmm, is that an offer, Samantha?"

She remarked with a cheeky grin, making him blush,

"Wait and see, milk fingers."


	29. Insane Ex

After going through the minimal documents that she was allowed to take off-base, Sam checked on the twins before peeking outside. She sighed slightly on not seeing any sign of Daniel's car and she resisted the sudden urge to call him. Feeling a little tired, she went to bed but felt lonely so read a book. However, her tiredness launched a surprise attack and she dozed off, the book falling onto the floor.

She became vaguely aware of a weight on Daniel's side of the bed and she murmured,

"Hmm, Daniel, you're home early - you didn't shoot Balinsky did you?"

She snuggled up to him before scrunching up her nose and asking,

"How did your stubble grow that fast and why do you smell of Bourb…?"

Something didn't feel right. Her eyes flew open and she saw none other than Pete Shanahan laying next to her, a rather unkempt and drunk Pete Shanahan at that. She stared at him in a mixture of confusion and abject horror, nearly falling off the bed in her surprise. She froze, paralysed with fear, as his hand trailed up her t-shirt and he slurred,

"I've been watching you, Black Widow Carter… there was me thinking you dumped me for that old bastard but you were really into that weedy geeky four-eyes."

Mentally shaking herself, her Air Force training taking hold, she crushed his groping hand with her own, before quickly wrenching his arm behind his back. He overpowered her, however, remarking,

"Ah, ah, ah, ex-Cop here."

She punched him in the jaw and he threatened her with a gun, forcibly backing her into a corner of the room as she palmed a pen. She tried to remain calm, silently praying that Daniel would come soon. Deciding to keep him talking to give her fiancé a chance to rescue her, she asked, trying to keep her tone calm,

"What do you want Pete?"

He remarked, his eyes fanatical,

"What do I want? Hm… what's rightfully mine. You let me in on this whole alien enemy crap and strung me along for a year before dumping me right before our wedding. Our wedding?! Do you not realise how many people were going to come?! My parents were flying in all the way from Ireland - they even had their tickets ready, and then you cancelled on me. I asked myself 'why, oh why did she do that?! Could it be because of those constipated looks from her commanding officer… or her best friend gazing at her hungrily when he thought that she wasn't looking?!'"

Her voice still calm, she said,

"Pete… you're drunk. Why don't we have this conversation when you're sober?"

He asked, menacingly,

"Are you trying to say something about Irish people?! 'cos if you are…"

"What? I'm not scared of you Pete… just put the gun down slowly."

He thundered, "I used to be a Cop so don't give me that negotiating crap! You cost me my job."

"How?"

"You drew me into your world Sam, and then threw me away, leaving me high and dry. I know that there is holy shit out there and no-one believes me!"

She remarked with a frown,

"Pete, revealing classified information is tantamount to treason."

"Don't I fucking know?! I get stalked by men in black suits trying to stop me from running alien websites. The thing is Sam, you'll never silence me. The people have to know what's out there and that you crap heaps are hiding a war."

"Pete… you're not thinking straight."

"Don't tell me how I'm thinking!"

"What do you want? You hold me at gunpoint in my own house - my fiancé's coming home, and if you've touched my kids, I swear to God I'll kill you with my bare hands."

He chuckled sardonically, remarking,

"Ah kids… didn't we have plans when we were young and innocent?! A boy and a girl… now I've lost everything and _you_ get two kids with some _Weedy McWeedison_ that you haven't even married yet!?"

She said defensively,

"Daniel is not weedy… he'd wipe the floor with you any day."

She whispered inside, "Come on Daniel."

She shifted slightly and he waved his gun at her, remarking,

"Ah, ah, ah, full Colonel - you're not getting out of this in a hurry."


	30. Missing

_As you may soon gather, I have no idea about American licence plate numbers, or Bourbon brands, so I'm sorry… lol : )_

_--------------------_

As Daniel annotated a translation, his phone rang. He picked it up, saying,

"Daniel Jackson."

"Daddy, Daddy! FUBAR."

Confused, he asked, "James? How did you… never mind. Just give me to Mommy."

The little boy, sounding more and more scared, babbled, and Daniel could hear Cammie whisper in the background, and then he thought that he could hear a man, a drunk man.

James continued, whispering into the phone,

"Daddy… Mommy hurt… bad man."

Daniel's heart nearly sank into his stomach on hearing not only that but Sam talking diplomatically in the background. He said quickly,

"Ok James… I know you can understand me… you and Cammie hide in your room. Daddy and Uncle Mitchell are coming… ok?"

"Ok Daddy."

Daniel threw the phone down and bolted out of his office, shouting to a surprised Balinsky who leapt out of the way,

"I've got to get home to my fiancée."

He skidded to a halt outside Cam's office, peering in and saying quickly,

"Mitchell, we need to get to my house _now_… Sam's in trouble."

Cam instantly got up and ran with him out of his office, asking as they ran to the lifts, soon joined by the rest of their team,

"What is it?"

"James rang me and I could hear a drunken man threatening Sam in the background… and Sam was obviously trying to buy some time. James said she was hurt."

"Oh shit… oh wait, James rang you!? He's twenty months!"

"He's a Jackson - now come on!"

--------------------

As SG-1 pulled up in front of the Carter-Jackson residence in Cam's SUV, Daniel noticed, much to his consternation, that the front door was ajar. The team instantly and quietly mobilised themselves, Teal'c and Vala slipping behind the house as Jonas, Cam and Daniel silently entered through the front door, cautiously waving their 9mms around. The three men swept each room on the ground floor, whispering 'clear' on making sure that they were empty.

They silently ascended the stairs with Cam taking point, before they burst into the main bedroom, to find it empty but the window wide open, the drapes billowing in the cool wind. As Daniel stared in horror at the sight, Cam and Jonas checked the other rooms before returning. Daniel sank down on his knees and murmured in shock,

"Dear God, she's gone."

Cam put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he radioed Teal'c,

"T, the suspect has apparently taken Sam out of the back window… have you seen any signs?"

"ValaMalDoran and myself have searched the entire perimeter of the rear garden and have only found…"

Just then they could hear tyres screeching out front and Cam sprinted into the Nursery to see a white van pulling away at high speed out of the neighbourhood. He just about managed to catch the licence number and he grabbed his mobile, dialling and saying into it,

"General Landry Sir, Sam's been abducted. Can you put an APB out through the local authorities for a medium-sized white van, licence plate Denver 59282?"

On disconnecting, he heard a sound and spun around, as he and his team-mates aimed their gun at the moving closet. The door opened and Cammie shouted,

"Uncle Cam!"

James emerged too, shouting as he ran into Daniel's arms as the Archaeologist put his firearm away,

"Daddy!"

Daniel scooped him up and the little boy, drooling on his father's neck, said,

"Daddy… Mommy gone."

"I know, son, and we're going to get her back… thanks for ringing me."

Cam and Jonas put their guns away as Cammie sat down on the floor, saying, "Mommy", before proceeding to bawl her eyes out, and Cam picked her up.

--------------------

Daniel returned to the bedroom, James now dozing off in his arms, his head rested against the Archaeologist's shoulder. Daniel scanned the room and noticed the crumpled sheets on his side of the bed. His breath caught in his throat as he considered the causes, none of them good, and Teal'c entered, saying,

"DanielJackson, the local authorities are currently searching for the vehicle that ColonelMitchell sighted…"

He trailed off on noticing Daniel frowning slightly at the sheets, and Teal'c asked,

"Is anything, apart from the obvious, out of the ordinary?"

"Is it me or do you smell Bourbon?"

"I am not familiar with the odour of Bourbon…"

Daniel called, "Mitchell!"

Cam ran into the room, asking, "What?"

Daniel asked quickly,

"Do you smell Bourbon?"

Cam sniffed slightly and said,

"Now that you mention it… if I'm not mistaken that's a similar brand to the one my Grandma likes… Denver Delight. So… our dude's from Denver?"

Daniel's eyes moved from the bed, along the window and to the corner of the room. His heart leapt into his mouth on seeing her St Christopher on the floor, the clasp on the chain broken. He carefully picked it up, the charm hanging from his fingers and he noticed the letter 'P' scrawled on the image of the Saint.

Cam asked, coming up behind him,

"What is it?"

"It's the St Christopher I gave her - I, uh, think she's trying to tell us something."

"P?"

"Hm."

"Right, let's get back to the mountain - Landry's all questions about why I just got him to put an APB out… let's go brief the General… we'll get one of the scientific teams in to do a forensics sweep - civilian law enforcement can be a pain in the Mik'ta, especially if they find Sam's Naquadah and Jolinar-laced blood anywhere."

--------------------

Daniel briefed Landry on what had happened and the General deployed a scientific SG team to perform a forensic examination of the house. The team sat around the briefing table discussing the clues: the van with a Denver plate, the Bourbon odour, the open window and the St Christopher.

Landry asked, "Why would she leave that?"

Daniel replied, "So I'd know and… I don't think she thought about writing on the walls… we didn't see anything. It appears that she was held under duress before being dragged out of the window…"

He trailed off, looking considerably tired, and Landry said in a soothing voice,

"Doctor, why don't you let your team manage this? You look like you need to sleep."

Daniel replied passionately,

"I'm sorry Sir, but my fiancée's out there and I have to get her back… we just need to work out the necklace and it'll all fall into place… I, uh…"

He barely suppressed a yawn before continuing,

"I'll go get some coffee."

Cam said, concerned, "Jackson, you can sit this one out."

"I can't."

Vala remarked, "Cameron, you came after me when Athena's goons took me."

"We weren't dating back then, and besides Jackson's gonna be dead on his feet."

Teal'c remarked with a small smile, "I have yet to witness DanielJackson permanently die."

Jonas said with a slight frown, "I, ah, don't think it'd be a good time for that to, ah, finally happen."

Daniel said with a rather unconvincing smile as he left to get coffee with Teal'c,

"I'll be fine… what would be worse would be me sitting doing nothing - I have to do something or I'll go nuts. Who wants a cup?"

A few minutes later, Daniel and Teal'c returned, handing out coffee to everyone before resuming their seats. He took a sip before Landry said,

"I suppose we have to profile the suspect… why has he taken Colonel Carter?"

Cam asked, "Could it be the Trust? They may need Sam to operate Goa'uld technology or maybe even access her memories…, she used to have a Tok'ra inside her after all."

Daniel said, shaking his head, "Vala's a far better candidate - Sam hasn't been able to control the technology… and besides, the room smelt distinctly of Bourbon… Denver Bourbon… the licence plate of the van was from Denver… there's a strong Denver connection. And anyway the Trust have beaming technology."

Jonas said, "She, ah, was abducted years ago before I first came to the SGC - a business man by the name of Adrian Conrad had her kidnapped and experimented on. He had bought a symbiote on the black market."

Vala shook her head and replied,

"I don't know how things are on Earth but surely for a planned, tactical strike, the perpetrator wouldn't partake in alcohol… or try and touch Samantha."

Daniel closed his eyes as horrific hypotheses ran through his head, and Teal'c asked,

"Could it not be a former Sim'ka? PeteShanahan or…"

The clues suddenly falling into place, Daniel asked, incredulous,

"What did you say?"

"PeteShanahan."

Daniel quietly exclaimed, "Oh my God, Teal'c, you're a genius!"

As everyone eyed him curiously, Daniel said excitedly as he held up the St Christopher,

"The answer's been in front of us the whole time… the letter 'P' scrawled on the front of a Christian Saint…"

Cam came to the same conclusion and remarked,

"St Peter, guardian of the Pearly gates… boy, some saint her ex is."

"I'll contact the Denver Police Department… I'm willing to bet money that the forensics people come up with Pete Shanahan's DNA."

He cringed as he said the last part, and Cam remarked,

"You're on."


	31. Kidnapped

Sam woke up, feeling very groggy, as she straightened up. She found herself in a dark, dank room, her arms bound behind her back. She shifted them slightly and felt a slight rope burn which made her grimace slightly. She said to herself,

"It's ok Samantha - you've been through worse."

She looked down and was grateful to still have her t-shirt on. She shifted slightly, trying to ascertain whether she was bruised anywhere, when she realised that the room was moving, rather fast and in a slight weaving motion. She slowly came to the realisation that she was inside a van, before wondering why she felt so groggy. She bent her knee and rubbed her forehead on it and was dismayed to see blood in the dim light.

"Oh rats… this isn't good."

Memories of what had led up to her being there slowly filtered into her consciousness and she whispered, horrified,

"Oh God."

She forced herself to be calm as she assessed her options. She could try and open the back doors, which she had just noticed, with her feet but the resulting fall at such a high speed could result in breakages or death, so that was out. She surmised that she would need to free her arms to be able to escape with minimal injuries, so she shifted forward before passing her bound hands underneath her, thankful that she had lost her baby weight. Struggling slightly, she bent her knees and passed her hands from under her legs and into her lap. She then set to work undoing the knots with her teeth, ignoring the growing burn of the rope.

Freeing herself eventually, she winced at the pain of the rope burn, before deciding what to do. She crept up behind the driver's cabin, holding her breath as she looked over Pete's shoulder, trying not to notice his erratic driving. She eyed his revolver lying in the passenger seat and slowly reached for it as he swore loudly at the traffic. Reaching it, she checked the chamber before holding it to his head, and hissing in his ear,

"Pete Shanahan, you're under arrest for the kidnap and abuse of a United States Air Force officer. Pull over now."

Pete swore at her but his eyes widened on feeling the cold metal of the revolver, so he pulled over. She climbed over the partition, saying as she poked him with the gun, grabbing his keys,

"Get out of the van with your hands behind your head… now!"

He did as he was told, stumbling out onto the grassy verge, just as a Police patrol car rolled up. An officer called, using his open door as a shield over which he held his gun, aimed at her,

"Ma'am, please put the gun down slowly and step away from the vehicle."

Pete made to grab her ankle, but the Police officer's colleague shouted, his gun also aimed,

"Hey buddy, get your hands where I can see them."

Sam refused to put the gun down, calling back,

"I am Colonel Samantha Carter of the US Air Force… this man abducted me."

The first officer called,

"Nuh-uh, not buyin' your story, especially dressed like that."

Sam remarked sarcastically,

"Oh, I'm sorry - next time I get kidnapped and abused by my ex, I'll make sure to bring my dress blues and ID!"

"If you don't put the gun down, I'm gonna have to ask you to lie on the ground, Ma'am."

She rolled her eyes before placing the gun at her feet before kicking it away from Pete's clutches. Another patrol car pulled up, with gun toting officers emerging. Sam folded her arms impatiently across her chest as the first two officers arrested Pete for dangerous driving and driving whilst under the influence. Another officer approached her with handcuffs, ready to arrest her for possession of a firearm. Thinking quickly, she realised that she was still wearing her dog tags. She slowly pulled them out and grabbed one of the officer's torches, saying,

"Look, I'm telling the truth - Colonel Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force. Can you take me to the nearest base?"

The officer took her into custody nonetheless, saying,

"No, you need to come to the station first."

Sam rolled her eyes and asked, "Just out of curiosity, where am I? Which state?"

"Why, Wyoming of course."

"Wyoming?! For crying out loud - the bastard drove me over state lines! I work at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado… Deep Space Radar Telemetry."

"We'll sort it out at the station, Ma'am."

--------------------

At the station, as Pete was locked up in a cell, Sam was interrogated by a Police officer as another leant against the wall overlooking the proceedings.

"What is your name?"

She replied, forcing herself not to lose her rag,

"Colonel Samantha Carter, PhD."

"Where are you from?"

"Originally New York… recently Colorado Springs. I work at Deep Space Radar Telemetry at Cheyenne Mountain complex."

"How did you end up at the side of a busy Expressway aiming a gun a drunk?"

She rolled her eyes and replied,

"For crying out loud, I've already told you this… I was abducted from my house at gunpoint by drunk boy in there. He must have knocked me out 'cos I woke up in the back of the van with a head wound."

"How did you get out of your restraints - you have rope burns on your wrists, as well as a number of other scars elsewhere on your body."

"I climbed out of them… I was seated and I slid my arms under me and over my legs before undoing the knots… can I _please_ ring my Commanding Officer so he can send someone?"

"Not yet Miss Carter…"

"It's _Colonel_, I assure you. If you don't like my rank, you could always try calling me Doctor… I did mention that I have a PhD in Astrophysics."

"Indeed you did, Doctor."

"Why are you holding me here?"

"Because you refuse to let us perform a blood test. If you continue to refuse, then I will charge you right now for refusing a Police blood test."

She rolled her eyes and remarked,

"Your tactics might work in this state, but I'm not falling for it. Get me either Colonel Cameron Mitchell, General Hank Landry or General Jack O'Neill, and then we'll talk."

He looked at her shocked, and asked,

"You know Jack O'Neill?"

"Yeah, he used to be my CO… why?"

"He's an old buddy of mine… served together in the Gulf."

"Oh yeah, what company?"

"Special Forces. How's he doing?"

For the first time since being there, she smiled, and replied,

"Just fine… he got promoted to Major-General and is in D.C…. he's godfather to my twins."

He smiled, nodding slightly before saying,

"No wonder you keep saying 'for crying out loud'. Ok Colonel, I'll cut you a deal - you submit to a blood test and I'll go about calling Jack O'Neill."

She groaned audibly and retorted,

"I'll cut _you_ a better deal - I give you the General's number and you can catch up with your old buddy."

"No deal, young lady… you are gonna spend the night in the cell to think over your options."

She exclaimed, "Oh for crying out loud! Can I at least have my phone call? I may not have been arrested before but I know my rights. One phone call."

"Well, after your blood test."

"Holy, that's it - when I get back home, you're going to have hell to pay."

He replied with a smile as he leant closer, challenging her,

"Go ahead and make my day… you're not going anywhere 'til I get some solid answers and some blood out of you."


	32. Wyoming Police

Daniel didn't realise that he had dozed off at his desk until Cam shook him, saying,

"Jackson, wakey, wakey."

He instantly sat up, straightening his glasses, as Cam said with a smile,

"They found Sam and the Denver bastard."

Surprised, Daniel hitched up his glasses and asked,

"They did? Who?"

"Wyoming State Police… they're not sayin' much of anythin', except that they've arrested Sam 'cos she's refused to submit to a blood test… and that bastard's got a DUI."

Daniel stood up and said quickly,

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go."

Cam replied as they nearly ran from the room,

"It might not be easy."

"I've got a feeling it won't be. Let's grab her BDUs on the way out - that Denver ass took her from the bedroom which means she was probably in just her t-shirt and I can just imagine those hard-assed Wyoming Cops giving her those orange things."

--------------------

Sam, her hands in cuffs, paced a cell wearing a baggy orange shirt and trousers, feeling very angry at the situation. They hadn't let her have her phone call until she submitted to a blood test, so she had no choice but to let them arrest her and stow her in a cell. She silently prayed as she gazed at the paler skin where her engagement ring had been prior to the Police officers taking it from, hoping that her friends would come for her soon.

After several hours of angry thoughts that luridly described what she would have done to the Police and Pete if she had been in possession of her P-90, she thought she could hear Cam's voice. She pressed her ear to the cell door and heard Cam's voice again, as well as Teal'c's and Daniel's. She smiled briefly before slamming on the door with her bound hands, shouting,

"For cryin' out loud, let me out of here."

She stepped back as the door was opened, and she nearly fainted in relief on seeing a concerned looking Daniel. She remarked to her interrogator from the previous night,

"Finally! Now are you going to undo my cuffs?!"

He signalled for a Lieutenant to undo her handcuffs, and she pulled Daniel into a hug, relieved, saying,

"Thank God you've come - these Cops are Vampires… I swear it's all blood, blood, blood."

He rubbed her back with his free hand, whispering,

"Are you ok? That thing on your head looks nasty."

"I'll live - I'll get Carrie to check it out back at the mountain."

They parted and Daniel asked the interrogator, his blue eyes fierce,

"Do you mind leaving so the Colonel can change?!"

As the interrogator and other Cops left, Daniel handed Sam a bag containing BDUs, and he asked,

"You… you, uh, want me to stand outside?"

She replied with a smile, "No, stay here… I could do with some sane company."

She quickly changed, her back to the CCTV camera, and she asked,

"How far did that bastard drive me?"

"Oh… pretty far. About two hundred miles… why?"

"I was unconscious for most of the ride. Lucky I haven't got concussion."

"How did you get out?"

"I'll tell you on the ride home."

Dressed in her BDUs, she quickly kissed him on the cheek before remarking with a determined expression,

"Thank you Daniel. Let's go get my engagement ring back."

--------------------

The Cops were only mildly apologetic as they released a hung-over Pete Shanahan into Cam's custody, the previous night's interrogator remarking,

"Freakin' Air Force…"

Sam was given her t-shirt and engagement ring back before she met Cam and Teal'c outside. She hugged them both, saying,

"Thanks for coming for me… let's go home."

Cam asked, gesturing at her head,

"Your head ok?"

"It will be… I'll tell you everything on the ride home… turns out the NID have been involved with Pete blabbering about classified stuff."

Her friends looked shocked at this, and she shrugged, asking Daniel,

"Did you get my clue?"

"Oh yeah… and James quite probably saved your life… or maybe your sanity."

"Oh?"

Cam replied with a grin, "He, uh, rang Jackson and said 'Daddy, FUBAR' and said that you were hurt… Jackson here heard you and the Pete bastard talking in the background and we came running."

Surprised, she asked, "Are the twins ok?"

Daniel replied as he helped her into a black Sedan,

"Yeah… they're alright… they got upset after you were taken but they've calmed down… that's some kid we got there."

She leant her head on his shoulder and replied,

"Definitely."

Teal'c smiled as Cam remarked,

"Of course he is… one: he's a Carter-Jackson; two: his middle name's Cameron…"

Sam and Daniel chuckled as a Lieutenant drove them to the nearest base.


	33. Family Reunion

Back at the base, after the relevant briefings and medical exams, SG-1 migrated en masse to Sam's lab where there was a little party held in her honour. During the festivities, she quietly slipped out, her face an impassive mask as she travelled several levels up to the Nursery, where she was greeted by the officer-in-charge,

"Hi Colonel! I heard about what happened - wow! It sounds as though it could put Hollywood to shame. Say, that's a nasty thing on your head - it's not serious is it?"

Sam smiled briefly, replying, "No, it's alright, Sergeant… just a nasty knock on the head."

The Sergeant produced a clipboard and a pen, and Sam wordlessly signed and dated it before an armed guard let her through to the main room. She stood in the doorway and watched various children playing, and babies being tended to by the Nursery staff. She looked around, until her gaze fell on two fair-haired toddlers, their heads together as they were busily examining the contents of a toy box. She said softly,

"James, Cammie."

They looked up and smiled as they ran towards her, shouting,

"Mommy!"

She knelt down and hugged them both in relief, whispering,

"Hey you two."

James babbled to her, concern in his eyes, and then he said,

"Bad man."

Sam smiled at him, saying,

"Thanks to you, young man, your Daddy, Uncle Cam and Uncle Teal'c found me when they did."

She smoothed his downy soft hair before kissing him on the cheek, and Cammie said,

"Mommy back."

"Yes sweetheart, Mommy's back."

She hugged them both again, tears brimming in her eyes before the twins dragged her off to see the toy box that they had been examining. Daniel, who had noticed Sam's absence from her lab, stood in the doorway watching Sam join in with the fun, and he smiled slightly before joining them. James called, making Sam and Cammie turn their heads,

"Daddy!"

Daniel scooped up the now giggling boy, saying with a grin,

"Hey Junior. How're you doing?!"

He let him down again and sat on the floor with Sam as Cammie dropped herself into his lap,

"Sam, are you ok?"

Sam nodded, distracted, and replied,

"I will be… thanks Daniel."

Cammie took Daniel's glasses off and peered into them before putting them on. Sam looked up and laughed, remarking,

"Oh boy, that's scary - it's like a little girly version of you."

Daniel chuckled, saying as he gently made to get his glasses,

"Sweetie, give Daddy's glasses back."

Cammie peered up at him and said as she wrinkled her nose,

"FUBAR."

Sam lightly admonished her, saying,

"Cammie - no."

Cammie giggled, and Daniel gently reclaimed his glasses, saying,

"Daddy needs those glasses to see further than his nose… you don't need them."

He then said to Sam as Cammie decided to clamber on him,

"Jack's dropped in… he tried to fly in last night but all flights were cancelled due to a storm."

He gently stopped his daughter from falling head first over his shoulder as Sam replied with a sigh,

"Yeah…"

He reached out to caress her jaw and she flinched, before saying with a sigh as he looked at her, concerned,

"Come on Daniel, let's go see the General."

They got up, and Daniel said to the twins,

"Mommy and Daddy have to go now but we'll come back later, ok?"

James and Cammie instantly looked sad, the latter saying,

"Daddy?"

He hugged them both, as did Sam, before saying,

"We'll all go home later, if we don't have to go anywhere."

He kissed them both before he and Sam left silently, their minds full of thoughts of what had happened.


	34. Regrets

Daniel watched Sam in concern as she silently walked with him back to the lifts. Thankfully alone inside, he said,

"Sam, you don't have to put on a brave front, for me at least. I know you're hurting."

She sighed and was about to say something when the doors opened and she hightailed it back to her lab, followed by an increasingly concerned Archaeologist. Most of the party had dispersed, leaving only SG-1, and Jack. She smiled slightly at him and said,

"Hey Sir."

He remarked, "Hey Carter… we were gonna send a search party but Dannyboy insisted on tracking you down himself. You ok? That bastard hit you pretty bad on the head."

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok… so… that's pretty cool what you did. Hank and the kids have been givin' me the low-down. The President himself is pretty pissy at the Wyoming State Police for how they dealt with you. There's talk of reprimands and… whatnot."

Remembering something, she said,

"The Chief seemed to know you - Ernie Fritz, I think his name was… said he served in Special Forces with you."

Jack remarked, "Ah, Ernie Fritz… the Fritz patrol… that takes me back. Total and utter bastard - got offered a dishonourable discharge or a jail term for smuggling opium outta Afghanistan. Guess he chose the discharge. Total and utter prick, if you'll pardon my French. He give you grief?"

"He insisted on a sample of my blood _before_ my phone call. He refused to call Cam, you or General Landry."

Cam remarked, "Had to argue with him to get you and the prisoner, despite having a warrant."

Jack said, "Oh, about that _prisoner_… he's been put on death row for treason. They couldn't try him 'cos of the whole top secret thingy, so they took advantage of an itty bitty loophole and…"

Sam asked with a frown, "Isn't that anti-Constitutional? He's supposed to have a fair trial… I mean it's as bad as that alternate universe with the prison in Guantanamo Bay."

Jack shrugged, replying, "Pfft, I don't make the decisions. Turns out the NID's been watchin' for a while and have a pretty strong case against him… _anyhoo_…"

He slapped his knees before getting up and saying as he glanced at Daniel,

"T-man, Jonas, Vala and Mitchell… weren't you gonna show me something?"

They all frowned in confusion before glancing from Sam to Daniel, and suddenly smiling. Cam said with a grin,

"Ah yeah… _something_… that thing."

Vala quickly added, "It's something."

Teal'c said, "Indeed," before they all fled, leaving the two scientists alone. Daniel chuckled, remarking as he stood up straight from leaning against the doorway,

"What a cheeky bunch."

He slowly approached her as she held the edge of her desk, asking,

"Sam?"

She took a deep breath and said,

"I'm ok."

He reached out to caress the side of her face but she flinched again, and he said, worried,

"Sam, talk to me."

She moved past him to lock the door before facing him, her gaze falling to the floor. He pulled her into a hug, whispering,

"Please don't lock me out… I want to help… tell me what I can do."

She rested her head on his shoulder, tears in her eyes as he slowly caressed her hair. She murmured,

"He touched me."

Alarmed, he asked, still holding her,

"What did he do?"

"I dozed off and thought you'd come home. I woke up when I smelt the Bourbon and felt his stubble, but I was so scared Daniel. I didn't know what to do. His hand reached up my t-shirt, and…"

She began to sob against his shoulder, her fists clenching and unclenching, and he prompted her, his heart hurting,

"What happened next?"

"I stopped him. I crushed his hand and wrenched his arm behind his back but he got out of it. He then forced me into a corner at gunpoint. He then started ranting about me calling of our engagement, and then I don't remember anything until I woke up in the back of the van… Carrie said that… that there wasn't any sign of forced entry or bruises on my upper thighs but I don't know… he could've touched me some other way while I was unconscious."

He kissed her hair, whispering,

"Sam, it was my fault… I should've ignored Balinsky. If I'd stayed at home, that bastard wouldn't have got in… or if he did, I would've broken his jaw."

She sniffed, replying, her voice muffled against his shoulder,

"Daniel, don't say that. It would've happened sooner or later."

She chuckled slightly as she remarked,

"I suppose it's a good thing in one way that my other ex's are dead."

"That doesn't excuse him coming into our home and seizing you."

"No it doesn't."

They parted, she gazing at his chest as he tenderly dried her tears with his thumbs. He asked,

"Are you going to be ok?"

She nodded, and he said,

"I'm here if you want to talk, Sam… please don't lock me out."

He gently tilted her face up before tenderly kissing her, and she whispered,

"I'm sorry if you think I'm shying from you… I've got to work this out myself."

"I know but please don't store everything up… we need you here… I need you."

She smiled, replying,

"Thank you."


	35. Reconnecting to the Norm

Back home again, after settling the twins down, Sam froze in the doorway of her bedroom, reliving the horror of the previous night. Daniel appeared by her side, saying quietly,

"Forensics combed the place over, and then Mitchell and Teal'c popped in to change the sheets, and to get rid of that smell."

She exhaled and he put an arm around her, saying,

"It's ok Sam… I'm here. You're not alone this time."

She nodded, took a deep breath before they walked in together, her eyes filling with tears as they neared the bed. She turned around halfway, unable to go any further and he held her, murmuring,

"It's ok… I'm here - you're safe."

She whispered into his shirt,

"Sorry Daniel… It's just…"

He shushed her, caressing the back of her head with one hand, saying,

"I know… we can sleep in the guest room if you want."

She shook her head before straightening up, saying with a determined look,

"No… I can do this. He's locked up and you're here."

She took a deep breath before turning around and walking towards the bed before sitting down. He said with a smile as he slowly approached her,

"See? That wasn't bad, was it?"

She glanced at his side of the bed before closing her eyes and breathing heavily. He immediately sat down next to her, holding her in his arms as he whispered,

"It's ok…"

She nodded against his chest before suddenly getting up and running to the bathroom. He slowly went after her and found her in the shower, sobbing quietly. He quickly undressed before joining her, and whispering as he held her from behind, nuzzling her neck,

"Sam… talk to me."

She replied, breathing heavily,

"I'm scared Daniel. I don't like being scared. I'm a Colonel and I can't go into my own bedroom."

He straightened up, still holding her, and said,

"Sam, this has nothing to do with your rank - you are the bravest, most courageous person I know. Jack can't face his emotions but you do… you don't lock them away - that's what I like about you. You get the job done but you let your emotions surface afterwards."

He turned her around to face him and he continued,

"Don't let him ruin your life Sam. If you do, then he's won. He'll never see the light of day again, but you are free. He could've done a lot worse had you not overpowered him. If you had been anyone else, you would have been dead, but you're not anyone else - you're Samantha Carter, Astrophysicist, Soldier, fiancée, mother and friend, and I love you. It's ok to be scared - it's not a weakness."

She gazed up at him and smiled, remarking,

"You really do know how to make me feel better Daniel. Thank you. I'll admit that it's going to take me a while to get over this but I have you, and I'm always going to be grateful for that. Come here you."

Grinning, he leant down to kiss her as her arm reached around his neck, his arms around her waist, and for the first time since the ordeal, they kissed without reservations. He whispered against her neck,

"How about we continue this in the bedroom?"

She froze momentarily before kissing him, replying,

"Ok."

He gazed down at her, concern in his eyes and said,

"It's ok if you don't want to go back to our room…"

She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him, and she said,

"Daniel, I can do this… if I do this now, I won't be scared of it any more."

They emerged from the shower, drying themselves off before rushing off to their room.

Inside, she froze slightly on seeing the bed, and he asked her,

"Are you sure you want to do this Sam?"

"Yes."

She wrapped an arm around his neck as she drew him in for another kiss, but he pushed her away slightly, saying,

"Tonight's about you Sam. I want to make love to you."

Tears in her eyes, she smiled and whispered,

"You don't have to…"

He put a finger to her lips, whispering back,

"I want to."

They laid together, and he made slow and gentle love to her, showing her how much he loved her. On many occasions, they were both brought to tears at the awe-inspiring beauty of it all.


	36. Planning Part II

Sam, Daniel, the rest of SG-1, the Jacks, Cassie and the twins sat around the kitchen table. The twins were in the laps of Vala and Jonas, and Sam was sat at the head of the table, shuffling a few papers as she said,

"Right everyone, everything's done. The invitations are in the mail; Cam's sorted the off-base venue, General O'Neill's taken care of the catering; Cassie and Vala, the floral arrangements for both ceremonies as well as the dress; Jack and Jonas, the music, and Uncle George is stepping in for Dad… the rings we've sorted… so…"

She grinned at Daniel, remarking,

"Unless you find a tablet that purports to contain the location of some hidden Ori treasure, we should be all set right after this upcoming mission."

Jack remarked, glancing at Daniel,

"$20 says you end up in a different galaxy."

Just then Cammie babbled, "FUBAR," as she stood up in Vala's lap. Daniel remarked with a smile,

"Forget my tablets… we never worked out who taught the twins how to swear like soldiers… or how James knew my number."

Cassie, Sam and Daniel looked pointedly at Cam, but Cam, Vala, Jonas, Teal'c and mini-Jack looked pointedly at Jack. Noticing this, Daniel said,

"Uh… Jack?"

Jack smirked and retorted as he ruffled Daniel's hair,

"I admit it… it was me. Seeing as they're Carter-Jacksons, I figured they'd be well ahead, and knowing how you kids seem to get into more trouble when I'm not around, I took the liberty to teach them how to reach either of you in case of an emergency… it's just as well that I did otherwise Carter'd be beatin' up Wyoming State Police. James got the hang of it but it backfired with Cammie… so, uh, sorry about that."

Amazed, Sam asked the rest of the team,

"Wow, thanks Sir… You guys knew about this?"

They nodded, and Cam said with a grin,

"We weren't sure how you were gonna take it…"

Vala added, "Yes, what with your human morals."

Daniel said, glancing at Sam,

"Thanks Jack."

"Anytime Space monkey."

Cam remarked with a clap of his hands and an intense expression,

"So… what remains, Jackson, is who you're havin' as best man."

Each other adult male in the room took turns to glare at the Archaeologist meaningfully, mirth just below the surface, and Sam grinned, remarking,

"Oh boy… you got a bloodbath coming, Jackson."

Daniel grinned back at her before glancing around his friends and saying with a sigh,

"Well, as it pains me to say it…"

His gaze focussed on Jonas, and the Jacks simultaneously groaned in protest, and Daniel continued, slowly smiling,

"Jonas, Teal'c, Jack, Jack the younger and Mitchell… I want you all as my best men."

The chosen men exchanged glances, and Jack remarked,

"You can't have five best men."

Cam added, "It defeats the purpose of a best man."

Daniel shrugged, replying,

"Why _not_? There isn't a rule that says I _can't_ have five best men. Our lives have depended on each other so many times out in the field… tradition owes us that much at least. I don't want to choose between you… well, if I had to, I'd choose Jack and Teal'c at the very least…"

Mini-Jack piped up, "Daniel, I hate to break it to ya but I never actually went through the 'gate with you guys, so you don't have to count me in this."

Daniel replied, "I notice you said 'went through the 'gate' as opposed to 'off-world'… come on, it'll be fun."

They each thanked him, and Jack remarked, rubbing his hands together,

"Then it's settled… boy, this is gonna be one hell of a wedding… five best men, five bridesmaids… hey Carter, do you want a maid of honour?"

Sam replied, glancing down for a moment,

"I always hoped that that would be Janet… so, no… why?"

"Oh, nothing."

Daniel glanced at him cautiously and said,

"Jack…"

Jack smirked as he replied,

"Was just gonna offer my girlfriend to fill the role if you needed one."

Everyone but Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and mini-Jack glanced at each other in confusion, and Jack asked,

"Carter, you knew?"

She smiled, replying, "Of course… Daniel told me."

"I should've known…"

Daniel shook his head slightly, smiling, and Cam piped up, asking, "Who is it?"

Vala added, "Do tell."

Teal'c said with a smirk, "It is Sara Phelps-O'Neill."

Jonas asked, "Oh… your ex-wife?"

Jack remarked, correcting him,

"Soon to be wife… again."

Daniel remarked with a chuckle,

"Yeah, if by 'soon' you mean by the time the twins retire!"

Everyone laughed, and Jack retorted,

"Well yeah, if they start up their own company by the time they're out of diapers."


	37. Christopher

The night before their upcoming mission, Sam and Daniel lay in each other's arms talking quietly. She whispered,

"I can't believe we're getting married."

"Me neither… it's going to be one heck of a ride."

"Ya, ride after ride. It'll be better when the Ori are done and dusted with."

"True…"

He reached over her into the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out her St Christopher. He dangled it from his fingers as she gazed up at it in amazement, asking,

"You got it fixed?"

He replied with a smile, "I meant to give it to you earlier but we got called away to escort the Prime Minister of the UK to the Alpha site, and then Cassie and mini-Jack insisted on hanging around. I got it cleaned up and fixed."

"Thank you."

She kissed him before he hung it around her neck, and she said,

"I felt bad about breaking Mom's St Christopher."

He looked at her in surprise and she asked,

"What?"

"You just called my Mom, Mom."

Embarrassed at her slip-up, she began, "Oh…"

"No… I'm honoured. Oh God, I'm honoured. Mom would definitely have loved you… and I have no doubt that Dad would have too."

He tenderly kissed her, and she replied,

"Well, my Mom would've loved you too… Dad definitely did, and we both know he's happy."

"Yeah."

She snuggled up to him and whispered,

"I want to call the next one Christopher."

Surprised, he played with her hair and asked with a smile,

"What makes you so sure that it's going to be a boy?"

She shrugged, replying as she ran her fingers lightly over his chest,

"I don't know… if we get twins again, we could name them after our parents… but…"

He lifted her up so that he could see her face and he asked,

"Sam? You don't have something to tell me, do you?"

Smiling, she remarked, "Not yet… I was thinking after we get married."

Grinning up at her, he gently lowered her over him and they kissed. He replied as he gazed up at her,

"Honey, if we could get hold of that moonshine again, I'd have the baby for you… you do know that, don't you?"

She instantly hugged him in gratitude, and he said as he smoothed her hair,

"Come on, future Colonel Carter-Jackson, let's get some sleep."

She gazed at him for a long moment, smiling before resting her head on his chest, and he kissed her hair. She remarked,

"You know, I'm your Commanding Officer again."

"I know…"

"And we're fraternising."

Before he could reply, she raised herself above him, gazing down at the Archaeologist, who whispered,

"We've got a mission tomorrow."

"I know."

Her hand slowly snaked its way down his chest and over his tight abdomen, and he hissed inwardly at the sensations produced, much to her amusement. He remarked,

"Sam… you better not be playing with me."

She retorted with an expression of faux innocence,

"Whatever gave you that impression?"

In one quick, fluid movement, he had pinned her beneath him, and she shrieked in surprise, before they made wild, passionate love to each other.


	38. Ori Mission Part I

_Ark of Truth spoilers from here on out_

_--------------------_

SG-1, led by Sam, left SG-3 to guard the 'gate as they made their way down the stone path to what appeared to be a village. Leaving Cam, Teal'c and Vala to stand guard outside the building that they intended on entering, Sam led Daniel and Jonas inside, their P-90s raised. She called,

"Hello?"

Finding no-one there, they moved towards a room near the back of the building, the door locked by an electronic padlock, the bar made of blue-ish white energy. She observed as she gazed at it, running her scanner over it,

"It's emitting a low level of tachyon radiation but we should be safe…"

Jonas noticed an inscription on the adjacent wall but couldn't make any sense of it. He called,

"Daniel? I can't make heads or tails of this… it's Asgard but it isn't…"

Daniel joined him, replying in surprise as Sam guarded their rears,

"Ah, it's Ancient written phonetically in Asgard… uh, let's see… _only he can decipher this script, can open the door… portal? One who is true of spirit and righteous._ Uh, it's bad I'll give you that."

After one quick visual scan around the room, Sam asked,

"Can you open it?"

Daniel shrugged, replying, "Well, I read it… here goes."

He touched the padlock, but nothing happened so he grimaced slightly and touched the bar. There was a deep rumbling, which startled them all, and Cam called over the radio,

"Sam! What's goin' on?!"

Suddenly, the entire wall, including the door, slid upwards to reveal what appeared to be a vast storehouse of treasure, tablets and glowing wall panels. Sam replied into her radio,

"Daniel's done it again… don't tell Vala but there's a lot of treasure here."

"You want me and T to come?"

"Only if you lose radio contact with us."

The three cautiously entered the chamber, glancing uneasily at the raised wall, hoping that they wouldn't be locked in. As Daniel and Jonas made to read the tablets, Sam remarked,

"Ok, no setting off booby-traps… read _before_ you press anything - you know the drill."

Daniel smiled at her before resuming his reading. Suddenly they were startled by a voice from the entrance, remarking,

"Woo, this'll pay for everyone to get married at the mountain!"

They smiled, realising it was Cam, who asked Sam,

"Everything ok?"

"I believe the General would call it 'peachy'… uh guys, we don't really have a lot of time so grab everything that you can - you can decode it back home."

Daniel replied, gesturing to the pile next to him,

"Already doing that."

Sam asked Cam, "Teal'c and Vala ok?"

"Yeah… getting bored and playing Pau'mac…"

The wall started rumbling again, and Sam called,

"Right, come on you two - grab what you can and let's move."

They all sprinted out of the room, Sam bringing up the rear, and the wall slid back down behind them. Cam remarked,

"That was close… Why'd it close?"

Sam replied, gazing up at it,

"I'm figuring some kind of time delay device or something… uh, let's go. We could've triggered a silent alarm."

They quickly joined Teal'c and Vala outside, the latter remarking,

"You found treasure and you wouldn't let me come?!"

Daniel ignored her, and Sam asked,

"Did you get anywhere with the tablets?"

Jonas said, "They're mostly inventories but there are a few with what appears to be legends."

Daniel added, "Ya… something about Ortus Mallum keeps cropping up."

Cam asked, "_Ortus Mallum?_"

Jonas replied, "It's Latin, meaning 'place of origin'."

Sam said, "Ok… we'll discuss this when we get back home again."

She called into her radio,

"Reynolds, you ok?"

"Yes Colonel. All's clear round here."

"Get your men ready - we're going home."

"Yes Ma'am."

--------------------

SG-1 were walking up the stony path, back to the 'gate, when they were ambushed by Ori soldiers. Daniel and Jonas ran towards the 'gate as Reynolds and Cam offered them covering fire, and with one of Reynolds' men covering him, Daniel dialled home. The event horizon established, Daniel transmitted the IDC before adding his precious cargo to Jonas', and pushing the Kelownan through. He then turned around and ran to his friends' aid, dodging energy blasts all the while.

Suddenly, a Goa'uld cargo ship appeared, taking out most of the Ori soldiers, with the team eliminating the rest. Everyone craned their necks to get a good look, when all of a sudden, a ring transporter descended around SG-1, beaming them up onto the ship, leaving a very baffled albeit concerned SG-3 to eventually radio home.

On board, they were surprised to see none other than Tomin leave the controls of the ship and stand in front of them. Vala approached him, astounded, and remarked as she tearfully caressed his jaw,

"Tomin. I thought you were dead."

Cam turned away slightly in discomfort at the scene, and Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Tomin replied as he ran his fingers through her hair,

"I did not die, beloved. I survived, and I offer you my unconditional surrender. I wish to join your forces and fight the Ori."

She gazed at him, still not believing that he was in front of her, and Cam cleared his throat, glaring at the man before asking,

"Nice try buddy, but we don't take anyone on. You could be working for the Ori for all we know and this is some sort of elaborate plot."

Tomin replied as he met his gaze,

"If I was working for the Ori, would I have killed their soldiers?"

Daniel retorted,

"Oh, I don't know… maybe if their soldiers were expendable."

Sam asked Tomin, "Why are you doing this?"

Tomin replied, hanging his head in shame,

"Because I have contributed to this merciless crusade having been blinded by their powers and claims of ascension. I did not realise the extent of the Ori's scheme until a Prior was willing to twist the meaning of a story within the Book so as to justify mass murder of innocent people."

Vala, still gazing at him, said, "Markon."

"Yes… the story is about forgiveness but the Prior said…"

Cam waved his hands and remarked,

"Don't start discussin' books now - y'all gonna remind me of Grandma's Bible study circles… the fights they used to get into. Ok… so what do you want - asylum?"

Tomin replied, "If that is what it will take to help you in your fight… but first I must inform you of something of grave importance to your planet. The Ori plan on sending a wave of warships through the Supergate to target Earth."

Shocked, Sam remarked, "Why now?"

Daniel replied in a low voice, glancing at Tomin,

"If Earth falls, the entire galaxy will fall into their hands."

"That is correct. I cannot allow that to happen."

Cam remarked, "Thanks for savin' us an' all, but why abduct us?"

"Because there is a ship orbiting Dakara."

Teal'c instantly became more alert at the name, and he said grimly,

"They wish to convert the remaining Jaffa."

"I do not know that much but I do know that they will proceed at all costs to bend this galaxy to their will."

Cam asked, "Jackson, you got the anti-Prior device?"

Daniel replied, reaching into Sam's rucksack,

"Yeah."

Tomin was about to return to the cockpit, but Daniel put a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Tomin, we can fly this - you and Vala catch up."

"Do you not trust me?"

"It's not that…"

Before Tomin could protest, Vala dragged him off by his shirt front to the rear of the ship, leaving a stunned Cam standing near the ring controls. Daniel whispered as he passed him,

"Let her work it out… I imagine that's why you two haven't gone anywhere - she needs to resolve this."

"What if she chooses him?"

"Would it be better to live a lie? Come on, I'm sure Teal'c will want to show you how to fly a cargo ship."

Teal'c walked past them with a slight smile, saying,

"Indeed."


	39. Ori Mission Part II

Cloaked, the ship approached Dakara, a huge Ori warship slowly came into view. Sam remarked as she unconsciously fingered the chain of her St Christopher,

"What a nice thing to happen right before our wedding."

Daniel retorted with a frown,

"Sometimes I think the Universe hates us."

Cam called over his shoulder, still annoyed,

"Yo Tomin, we're here."

Sam checked the instrument display and said as Tomin and Vala emerged from the rear,

"Ok, according to this, the nearest rings are on the surface… we need to get closer. Teal'c?"

Without a word, Teal'c slowly manoeuvred the craft closer to the ship, Cam remarking,

"Think we can pose as Girl Scouts?"

Daniel retorted, "Ya, you go ahead."

Tomin asked, puzzled, "What are these Girl Scouts you speak of?"

Vala replied with a smile as Cam rolled his eyes,

"They're an Earth thing."

Sam said, "We're close enough… uh, Teal'c you stay here - you're effectively the getaway driver. Cam, you up for a spot of slinking?"

"Sure… anything to get outta here."

He glared briefly at Tomin as Sam continued,

"Ok… Vala, stay here with Teal'c. Tomin, Mitchell, Jackson, you're with me. Let's move out."

Daniel smiled slightly at the use of his last name as they walked to the rings platform, Sam calling,

"Teal'c - maintain a radio silence unless you get company."

Teal'c replied as he stood next to the controls,

"I will, ColonelCarter… good luck."

"Thanks."

--------------------

Onboard the Ori ship, Tomin whispered,

"You'll need to follow me… I know a shortcut to the bridge - we have little time."

Sam nodded and they silently skulked after him, cautiously waving their guns around as their eyes moved everywhere. Cam pulled them out of the way just in time as a group of soldiers on guard detail marched down the corridor, before they cautiously moved on. Soon, they arrived outside the bridge, scanning their surroundings, and Daniel brandished the anti-Prior device, murmuring,

"Now?"

Sam shook her head, peering in before saying,

"Now."

He passed the device to her and she covertly slipped it onto the bridge, making sure it was switched on. Cam tossed a smoke grenade in, before Sam signalled for them to follow her. They quickly stormed the bridge, the Prior coughing and reaching for the controls. Sam, Cam and then Tomin shot him, the latter using an Ori energy weapon, and the Prior was soon slumped in his seat, dead.

Daniel glanced at the controls saying,

"Uh guys… how do we fly this thing?"

Tomin shrugged, replying,

"I do not know… but we must leave because another war ship will come."

Sam quickly assessed the situations, before saying,

"Well… no-one's going anywhere in a hurry… what about the other ship?"

Daniel asked, "Could you not booby trap this ship?"

Cam replied, "Nuh-uh, not killin' innocent people, Jackson."

Sam said, "We've got to leave before we get some unwelcome company… the cargo ship is no match for one of these things, let alone two… hopefully they'll assume that this guy is doing his job and leave well alone. Alright, well done everyone - move out."


	40. Approaching Earth

As they approached Earth, they received a transmission from the Odyssey, which orbited the planet when it wasn't used for missions, constantly on the lookout for approaching threats,

"This is Colonel Ferretti of the Earth ship Odyssey, please identify yourselves."

Sam replied with a relieved smile,

"Hey Ferretti - it's only us - SG-1 plus a guest. Permission to dock?"

"You sure that's you Carter? Ok… who is your fiancé?"

She rolled her eyes and remarked,

"How did your team get ship duty?!"

"Answer the question."

The rest of SG-1 chuckled as she replied with a proud smile,

"Fine… Doctor Daniel Jackson, who has three PhDs, and can wipe the floor with you, or at least make a pretty good job of it."

Daniel looked surprised at her assertion of faith in him, and Ferretti's voice crackled back,

"You better tell me what happened out there - Landry's pulling his wig out at the mountain. Ok, You're good to go… go on, get yourself docked… transmitting docking co-ordinates now…"

Teal'c switched to autopilot and the cargo ship smoothly glided towards an available docking bay. Cam remarked with a grin,

"Hoo boy, it's gonna be fun onboard."

Daniel added with a smile as he leant against the back of Sam's seat,

"I'll say."

--------------------

Aboard the Odyssey, Ferretti insisted that Tomin be placed into custody, remarking,

"No offence… he's a nice guy an' all, but I'm gonna get my ass chewed up by the IOA."

Vala looked annoyed but Daniel glanced at her meaningfully, and she said to Tomin,

"Go with the nice men, Tomin - they're just wary because of who you are… or were."

Sam added, apologetically, "It's just until we can explain to our commanding officer what happened."

Tomin replied, "I understand," before Daniel and Teal'c escorted him to the brig. Sam radioed the SGC to apprise them of the situation, and Landry ordered them to return to base, _sans_ Tomin. Vala remarked, heatedly,

"I'm not leaving him."

Cam touched her elbow, retorting,

"Relax - Ferretti's past his cannibalism stage… aren't you?"

Ferretti quipped with a grin,

"Nuh-uh, still get those human cravings from time to time."

Vala sighed before joining Sam and Cam at the front of the bridge, and they were soon joined by Daniel and Teal'c. As they were beamed down, Ferretti made the Vulcan 'live long and prosper' symbol with his hand, grinning all the while. He remarked as he turned to the crew,

"Y'know, we should mention Star Trek a lot more… it'd be fun."

Everyone exchanged odd glances, and his second-in-command rolled his eyes.


	41. Tablets

Earthside, SG-1 (including Jonas) and Landry were sat at the briefing table, Sam having briefed Landry on what had happened during the official mission, and then in the unofficial mission afterwards. Jonas then relayed his findings regarding the tablets. He stood up and gestured towards slides as he talked,

"So, ah, you see, one particular tablet mentions Ortus Mallum several times, but it appears to be a metaphor. I'm not sure if my translation's up to scratch as Daniel wasn't here, but here goes: '_All those who are virtuous and true of spirit can reach the Chest of Virtuosity…_'"

Daniel, who had been intently watching the slides, distractedly interrupted him, saying,

"_Ark of Truth_ is closer to the original meaning."

Sam glanced at him and was about to ask if he was alright when he got up. Jonas handed him his notes and he read them quickly before everyone noted his face light up. Cam called,

"Yo Jackson, you gonna share?"

"Oh, uh, sorry…"

He brandished a pen, murmuring an apology to Jonas before going about correcting a substantial part of the notes. He then said,

"Ok… according to this particular tablet, the Ark of Truth, whatever that is, can be found in Ortus Mallum… Ortus Mallum is Latin for '_place of origin_'… now if we remember that the Alterans and the Ori are essentially the same race, like the Tok'ra and the Goa'uld, this Ark of Truth must be located somewhere in the Ori home galaxy."

A stunned silence descended on the room, Jonas quietly remarking,

"You got all that from that?"

Daniel nodded, quietly explaining his corrections, and Sam asked,

"Do you have any idea where?"

"There are some geographical clues but that's not going to help us as we have to find the planet first… uh, oh hello, it mentions _two orbs suspended at day_… _three orbs suspended at night_. I'm guessing it's in a binary solar system and has three moons."

Sam remarked, "That's going to narrow it down… This galaxy alone has millions of binary systems… as for moons… oh boy."

Teal'c asked, "Could not the story be part of an oral myth?"

Daniel replied, realisation slowly dawning,

"Oh… Tomin's from that galaxy - we could ask him. The Ori might even be daft enough to have put it in the Book of Origin."

Vala remarked, "Told you he'd be useful."

Landry sighed and said, "The IOA want to interrogate him - they're sending someone over."

Sam asked, "Agent Woolsey?"

He remarked with a frown, "No, unfortunately. He's in Atlantis… we're getting someone a whole lot better."

Cam retorted with an intense expression,

"Just so long as he isn't an out and out sadist, Sir."

Realising something, Daniel ran out followed by a puzzled Jonas, leaving their equally puzzled friends behind. They returned a few minutes later, Jonas looking slightly less confused. Landry asked, noting Daniel's determined yet excited expression,

"Doctor Jackson - have you found something else?"

Daniel and Jonas went about laying the tablets out on the table in a grid, and he distractedly replied,

"I think so Sir… I noticed an emboldened character on some of the tablets at irregular intervals. If we just put them in order, we might see something…"

He brandished a stick of chalk from his BDU jacket as everyone else looked on in bemusement, and he drew lines between the characters. Much to their gradual surprise, they noticed that the overall picture was a large spiral and Daniel said, glancing at Sam,

"I'm not an Astrophysicist, but our galaxy's a barred spiral - theirs is a regular spiral…"

He continued joining the dots, and Cam remarked,

"We've got a map to this Ortus Mallum place?"

"Uh-huh… looks like it."

Sam said, "But you don't know for sure and you don't know from what side that map was plotted… heck, you don't even know if it's the right galaxy."

"True… that's why we need Tomin."

Vala remarked, "Which is something I've been saying all along."

Landry said, "Well, it'll be a while before Mr Merek of the IOA gets here, so I'm ordering that Mr Tomin be brought here and situated in a VIP suite… Vala, I'm going to put you in charge of settling him in."

Vala replied with a smile, "Thank you."

"Ok dismissed… I'll go call the Odyssey."

After Landry and Vala left, Sam stood up and leant on Daniel's arm, remarking with a smile,

"So… will we be going Indiana Jones before the wedding?"

He gazed down at her and apologised,

"I'm sorry Sam… it looks like I've read something on a tablet that's going to take us far away…"

"Don't apologise - this is our job and we promised to see it through to the end."

Cam remarked, "Damn straight."

Teal'c added, "Indeed."

She continued, "If things develop swiftly, I'll call Mark and tell him that something came up. I'm sure he'll understand… as for Uncle George, he'll definitely understand."

Daniel gazed at her, feeling guilty, and Cam whispered to Teal'c,

"Kiss."

Jonas added, "Definitely."

They quickly left the room as Daniel leant down and kissed her before saying,

"I'm so sorry Sam."

She smiled up at him, saying, "It's ok Daniel - really. We're together and that's all that matters. We always said that this came before everything… maybe not each other, but we're pretty tiny in comparison to what's out there."

He smiled, remarking, "I'm so glad that I'm marrying you…"

"Yeah well… the General's going to be happy - we'll all owe him $20 if we end up in the Ori galaxy."

He said with a grin, "Well, he can spend it on his godchildren… they'll be two soon."


	42. Interrogation Part I

In an interrogation room, Daniel perched on the table as Sam sat behind it, and Tomin sat in front of them, Vala seated near him. The rest of SG-1 and Landry were watching from the observation area, as Daniel asked in a friendly manner,

"So Tomin does your culture, or even the Book of Origin, mention something called _Ortus Mallum_?"

The man's eyes lit up in recognition at the name. He glanced at Vala, who said,

"It's really important that you tell us - this could be our only hope against the Ori."

He swallowed, glanced downwards momentarily before meeting Daniel's gaze and replying,

"Yes. The story of Natal mentions it - the opening section of the Book. Natal describes the Ori as being born in a place called Ortus Mallum, '_wherein hung two orbs by day, and three orbs by night. On that day, the Ori rose from the light, pure light so bright and untainted. And the first Orici spake, 'awaken ye from the Ark of Truth, for thou will surely perish lest thou remainst,' but Arkon did not arise, and he became polluted by the evil that resided within. The first Orici spake, 'let this be an example to all ages. All true followers of Origin are forbidden to touch the Ark of Truth for they will stray from the true path and accept evil for their bedfellow. Let us bury this Ark as a reminder to all ages from here on of the birth of the Ori, the leaders of the true path, a reminder of the evil from whence we escaped. Let this prevent more followers from straying unto temptation' and the people bowed before him…'_"

As Sam and Vala looked surprised, Daniel remarked with a raised eyebrow, cutting the man off,

"Wow, they _are_ daft enough… thank you for that. Uh, are there legends regarding where Ortus Mallum is?"

Tomin replied, "There are many… the anti-Ori Underground in my home galaxy will be able to help you to find the place you seek. They believe that the Ark of Truth has the power to destroy the Ori and bring about an end to their crusade. I can help you to make contact with the Underground."

Daniel folded his arms, thinking, before turning to Sam and asking,

"Sam?"

She replied, briefly raising her eyebrows,

"It may be worth checking out. General?"

She turned to the observation window and Landry's reply came,

"Briefing room… bring Mr Tomin with you."

Suddenly a voice was heard, that of a man,

"That won't be necessary, General Landry. I'm Agent James Merek of the IOA, and I've come to interrogate the prisoner."

Landry sighed, remarking, "He is not a prisoner… he's our guest. Vala, will you escort Mr Tomin to his quarters?"

Smiling at him encouragingly, Vala gently persuaded Tomin to leave the room with her, just as Agent Merek, Landry, Cam, Teal'c and Jonas entered. Sam stood to give Landry her seat, but Merek took it as an invitation. He quickly sat down and Cam pulled another seat over for Landry, raising an eyebrow at him. Merek then shuffled the papers he was carrying, as SG-1 exchanged uneasy looks, and he began, looking pointedly at Cam,

"Colonel Mitchell, I've been reading the reports for the unofficial mission, and I have to say that I'm disappointed. You had a chance to eliminate an entire Ori warship that was orbiting Dakara and yet you didn't. Why?"

Cam remarked, "I thought that was in the report."

Sam interrupted, saying, "With all respect Agent Merek, I had command - the ultimate decision was mine. We decided to just take the Prior out and…"

Merek interrupted her with a raised hand, remarking,

"I'm sorry, but aren't you only officially in command after your wedding, and not before?! Officially Colonel Mitchell had the command."

Sam retorted, "And aren't you supposed to be talking to Tomin instead of busting Cam's ass over a command decision that _I_ made?!"

"First, I want an answer, from the _official_ commander of the mission. Colonel Mitchell, I will ask you once more, why did you not eliminate the ship? You should have."

Cam remarked, folding his arms defensively as he glared at him intensely,

"There were innocent people aboard that ship and I, as well as my Commanding Officer, were not willing to make that sacrifice. Plus, another ship was on its way… and the ship was helpless without a Prior at the controls."

"And how can you be sure that this Tomin person is telling the truth? For all you know, he could be the latest ploy by the Ori forces to infiltrate Earth. You have already compromised the security of this planet by bringing him here. May I remind you that the SGC would not exist if it were not for the IOA?!"

Sam cocked her head and remarked,

"There is absolutely no need for that sort of behaviour, Agent Merek. _My_ decision can be justified by Daniel and Jonas' latest findings. The Ark of Truth may be our only chance to defeat the Ori once and for all. We intend to mount a search in the Ori galaxy for it with Tomin's help as we need to contact the anti-Ori Underground. For this reason, Tomin will have to accompany us. I suggest that you tone down your offensive behaviour before I report you to your superiors. Even Agent Woolsey wasn't this bad."

Merek challenged her, retorting,

"May I remind you that you and Doctor Jackson are only still on SG-1 because of the IOA? One report from me, and you'll be separated on combat missions as per regulations."

Daniel squared up to him, stepping in front of Sam and saying in a carefully controlled voice,

"I will not have you talking to my fiancée like that…"

Sam touched his arm saying quietly,

"Daniel, it's ok."

Daniel continued, "Don't try and scare us with talk of separating us. We all know that you don't have that power. The President himself requested that we both stay on the team, and we are not about to back off when the fight is heating up. This could be everything we have been working towards for eleven years."

Landry was about to step in, but Merek backed off, shrouding his challenging expression with a suddenly friendly exterior, and he said with a smile,

"I do apologise for what I said. I got caught up in the heat of the moment."

He sighed and continued, "Well, if no-one has any objections, I would like to begin questioning Mr Tomin."

The rest of SG-1, especially Daniel, glared at him as Landry called to an Airman,

"Airman, kindly escort Mr Tomin here."


	43. Interrogation Part II

SG-1 and Landry sat behind the observation window as Merek went about interrogating the 'prisoner'. At first Merek was friendly and disarming, but soon he was digging deep into Tomin, asking about how many innocent people had died because of his orders, and even, at one point, how he could sleep at night, haunted by the faces of the people he had had killed. Tomin was visibly upset at the memories and the accompanying guilt, and looked as though he was about to break under the pressure. He said, his eyes closed,

"I want to accompany my wife and her comrades to my home planet to help them to contact the anti-Ori Underground."

Merek rounded on him, remarking,

"And have them captured by your troops?! Not a chance in hell, buddy. You will remain here until my superiors decide to send you home to Momma."

Tomin held his face in his hands, his anguish plain and clear for all to see. Cam remarked, annoyed, despite his own frustration at the Vala-Tomin situation,

"Aw hell no - how are we gonna work with him if he gets broken down by Merek?!"

His friends looked uneasy at the scene before them, and Daniel and Jonas both noticed Vala looking very upset. Daniel said quietly, holding her hand,

"Vala?"

She turned to him, replying with tears in her eyes,

"Tomin's a good man, Daniel… he shouldn't have to go through with this. He's left his old life and now this Agent man is using it against him… I can't take it any more."

Cam just sank down in his seat slightly; an unreadable expression on his face, and Sam glanced at him with concern before saying to Landry,

"General? I think we should…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Vala had got up, and before anyone could so much as react, she had stormed the interrogation room, grabbed Merek from his seat and punched him in the jaw. Daniel and the rest of the team mentally shook themselves as they stared in surprise before running in to prevent her from hitting the Agent again. As Daniel and Teal'c restrained her, Merek exclaimed, clutching his nose,

"She's crazy!"

Sam remarked, "She just did what we all considered, so that makes us all crazy. Since when did the IOA use psychological torture to interrogate alien detainees?"

Vala exclaimed, struggling hopelessly against Daniel and Teal'c,

"My husband has left his old life behind, and is here to help your planet before it gets attacked by the warships coming through the Supergate!"

Landry said, a slightly amused expression on his face,

"Ok people - time out. Agent Merek, I will be filing a complaint to your superiors as to your conduct whilst interrogating our guest."

And with that, the General turned on his heel, and Sam said with a friendly smile to Tomin,

"Come on Tomin - I'll take you to your quarters… Vala needs a moment to cool off."

Looking somewhat stronger than he did during the questioning but nervous nonetheless, he glanced at Vala before acquiescing. Teal'c and Daniel, with Vala, followed suit, as did Cam and Jonas, eventually, after the former glared at the Agent in disgust, and the latter said, gesturing to his bruising nose,

"You should, ah, get that checked out… Doctor Lam's an ace doctor."


	44. Jackson Moves

During a briefing with Jack, Landry and Tomin, it was decided that SG-1 and Tomin would travel to the Ori galaxy aboard the Odyssey in an attempt to pre-empt the attack that Tomin claimed was on its way to Earth. Their main objectives were to locate members of the anti-Ori Underground, and then follow any clues given to Ortus Mallum, and the reputed Ark of Truth itself.

Jack pointed out with a rare sadness shown in his face,

"Carter, Daniel, it means you two have to postpone the wedding… I'm sorry… and you'll be missing the twins' birthday."

Both of them nodded in understanding, maintaining stoic expressions as they contemplated what lay before them.

After the briefing, their friends decided to give them a wide berth as they slipped out, their intended destination Daniel's office. Inside, both of them sat opposite each other in a long pensive silence. Finally, Daniel broke it, saying with a sigh,

"It's our job and we said we'd stick with it 'til the job's done."

Sighing, Sam replied, "Yeah, but it doesn't make it any easier… the wedding I don't mind so much as we'll be together anyway, but the twins' birthday… I don't know. They won't remember it, but we will… plus, we'll _both_ be in another galaxy. Agh… thankfully the wedding's relatively simple to deal with - all I've got to tell is Mark, Cassie and mini-Jack… General O'Neill said that everyone else would be dealt with."

He reached over his desk, clasping her hands in his as he smoothed the skin of the back of her hands with his thumbs, deep in thought. Calmed somewhat by the tender gesture, she closed her eyes and exhaled. He said quietly,

"We could always have the party a little earlier - as you said, they're not going to remember it."

"True."

Suddenly she chuckled and remarked, opening her eyes,

"And then we could just run off to Vegas."

He chuckled, retorting, "Honey, our friends would never let us forget it… although that would only be if we got to Nevada _without_ an intergalactic emergency breaking out."

They smiled slightly as they contemplated the precarious and almost spontaneous nature of their jobs, and he sighed, saying,

"This will pay off though… I mean, Earth will live to see another day… it'll look good when the programme goes public."

She chuckled slightly as she noticed the mirth in his eyes, and she remarked,

"Why Doctor Jackson, I do believe you're full of yourself."

"On the contrary, soon-or-otherwise-to-be Colonel-Doctor Carter-Jackson, I could never be full of myself… not when you're here to fill me."

Shaking her head slightly, she chuckled as she made her way around the desk, her intention to kiss him, when he surprised her with his 'Jackson moves'. He pulled her into his lap and she shrieked in surprise, remarking,

"Look who's busting Jackson moves now!"

As he nuzzled her throat, he retorted,

"Where did you think our son got it from?!"

She groaned quietly at the intimate contact, closing her eyes at the sensations produced, and then she whispered,

"Daniel… stop."

He reluctantly stopped, gazing at her as she sheepishly peeped at him, saying,

"Sorry, but we're on base and you're making me hot."

They both blushed, and he tenderly kissed her, whispering,

"Let's go to the Nursery… the mission's not until tomorrow."

Gazing at him as she caressed his jaw, she replied,

"Sure… I'll just go and make some phone calls…hmm, you know, at least this happened before we got to the wedding… I mean, Cam's got a bet on that we have to flee during the big day itself."

"Oh, I'm glad we won't be doing that… yet."

"So, will you be wearing sneakers with your tux?"

"Hey, if the time lord can get away with it…"

She remarked with a grin, "Honey, he doesn't wear a tux."

"He did once… and besides, you'll have to wear sneakers too."

"So… is this your way of suggesting we watch Runaway Bride?!"

He lightly fingered her collarbone as he murmured,

"Hmmm, I was thinking of the House of Carter-Jackson."

She chuckled as she playfully hit him across the chest, retorting,

"Subtle as ever, I see."


	45. Pride and Honour

Sam and Daniel spent longer than usual in the twins' room that night, gazing down at their angelic faces as they slept. She reached down to smooth their hair, tears silently coursing down her cheeks as she contemplated what lay before them. He too had tears in his eyes as he gazed down at their children. They both leant down to lightly kiss the twins on their foreheads before he gently touched her arm. She nodded and with lingering glances, they left the room in silence.

In their room, they silently went about getting ready for bed, thoughts of the mission and its possible consequences weighing on their minds. Not a word was spoken until they lay down, and she whispered,

"I don't want to leave them."

He held her in his arms as he replied,

"Neither do I, Sam, but this is so much bigger than us. If we don't do this, Earth will either be destroyed or converted to Origin, and we both know that that can't happen."

"I know… but it doesn't make it any easier."

"No it doesn't."

He exhaled before saying, "Sam… if I don't make it home…"

She released a shuddering breath at the thought of losing him again, and she whispered,

"No, don't Daniel… I'm not leaving you anywhere. Either we both come back or not at all."

He caressed her stomach and replied,

"Sam… you know I have a knack for dying…"

"I meant what I said about dragging you back through the 'gate, kicking and screaming. I know the Ori galaxy doesn't have a 'gate system but the concept's the same. I refuse to leave you, or the rest of SG-1, anywhere. We don't leave our people behind."

She closed her eyes as he caressed her hair, and he whispered, nuzzling her jaw and throat,

"I love you so much Sam… and I want you to know how proud I am of you."

"Oh Daniel…"

"No Sam, let me finish… this could be my last chance and I want to make sure that I tell you exactly how I feel. I love you. You are the most beautiful, amazing, intelligent, caring, courageous person that I have ever had the honour of knowing. I'm so proud that you could love me and that we're getting married."

Amazed and surprised, she kissed him, replying,

"And Daniel… I meant everything I said on Vis Uban. You are the most brilliant, absolutely amazing, utterly selfless, bravest and most compassionate man that I have ever known. If anyone should be proud and honoured, it should be me because God knows I don't deserve you."

She turned to kiss him as he cupped her jaw, and he reciprocated, the gesture speaking a language of its own with words and feelings far deeper and more profound than anything in Daniel's thirty-odd languages. When they parted, she found herself on top of him and she sat up, her legs straddling the Archaeologist, and whispered as she gazed down at him,

"I hope we come home again… I want to know what it's like to be Colonel Carter-Jackson."

Gazing up at her, he whispered in reply,

"I'm going to make you so happy Samantha."

She remarked with a smile, "You're making me so happy already Daniel… you really couldn't possibly make me any happier."

He reached up to caress her jaw as he replied,

"That's not going to stop me."

She turned her face slightly and kissed his palm, whispering,

"I know."

His hands wandered to her waist, caressing the bare skin beneath her t-shirt, and she closed her eyes and let out a small moan of pleasure at his touch. Suddenly she began to giggle and she opened her eyes. Despite it being dark, she knew that he was blushing, and she whispered,

"It's ok… there's no need to get embarrassed."

He chuckled, retorting, "Who says I'm embarrassed?!"

"You're forgetting how well I know you."

"Oh? How well?"

He gently lowered her body onto his as she murmured,

"Very."

She trailed kisses along his jaw and down his bare chest, before her hand drifted down his abdomen. She smiled as he exhaled, his muscles twitching, and he moaned. He remarked, gasping slightly as her hand drifted lower with excruciating slowness,

"Trust me to be engaged to a seasoned combat officer who could torture anyone into confessing anything."

She chuckled and retorted,

"It's not so bad… although this Archaeologist I'm seeing has lips so beautiful that they couldn't possibly torture anyone. In fact, being away from his lips is torture…"

With a growl, he interrupted her as he pinned her beneath him, and she shrieked in surprise as her t-shirt went flying. He made love to her with his mouth, her body ignited and set alight by fiery passion. She moaned in frustration as he deliberately took things slowly in revenge for her earlier torture of him. She was almost screaming when he, ending what had been torture for both of them, plunged deep into her and she groaned at the sensation. Their bodies moved together in harmony to their own beautiful melody, the fire between them intensifying a hundred-fold. They climaxed with a shout, and he collapsed onto her, kissing her throat as she wrapped her arms around him.

When they were finally able to speak, she whispered,

"That was… indescribable."

He nuzzled her, whispering,

"I can't think of a word in _any_ of the languages I know."

"Hmm, maybe this should be a new word in the dictionary."

He chuckled, retorting,

"Superamorerotica."

She couldn't help it - she laughed out loud, and he soon joined her. He switched the bedside light on, and he raised himself enough to look her in the eyes. After readjusting to the sudden influx of light, she gazed up at him with a smile, memorising every detail of his face, and he hers. He whispered,

"I love you Sam… whatever happens - I just want you to know that."

"I love you too Daniel… wow… think of what we could get up to after the Ori are gone."

"You really think we'll beat them?"

She sighed, replying, "We have to - most of our allies are gone. The Tok'ra are god-knows-where… the Nox are pacifists… the Jaffa are overwhelmed… it's up to us to get the job done."

"Yeah, some consolation it is being the fifth race, huh?"

She reached up to trace his lower lip with her thumb, whispering,

"If we have a boy we could call him Thor."

"Oh Sam…"

"Even if he's adopted - it won't make him any less our son."

He kissed her, glad that he was engaged to someone so understanding as he himself had endured years of foster care, with carers ranging from civil to downright abusive. He whispered, imitating Jack,

"We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it."

She ran her fingers through his soft hair, smiling as their gazes locked and she replied,

"Let's hope there's water under the bridge as opposed to compacted dirt or stone."

He smiled at her before asking, an uncertain expression on his face,

"Uh Sam?"

Realising what he meant, she replied,

"You're not heavy."

Smiling, he nestled his face in the crook of her neck, gazing at her fair hair being illuminated by the light. He played with the long locks, whispering,

"You're so beautiful."

"I could say the same for you."

She kissed his shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair, her other hand pulling a blanket over them. He whispered, a little drowsy,

"I love you."

She switched off the light and whispered back as her hand gently caressed the smooth skin of his backside,

"I love you too."


	46. No Funny Stuff

Sam woke up and gazed at her very handsome fiancé sleeping next to her, his arms still around her, their legs entwined. She took the opportunity to study him and she noticed how boyish he looked, how the lines in his face had faded, and how utterly peaceful he appeared. She smiled, thinking to herself,

"Boy Samantha, you're one lucky woman… those Nurses would kill to be in your place."

She carefully extricated herself from his embrace, careful not to wake him, which took a while. She slipped on a t-shirt and crept out of their room to the twins' room. She stood in the doorway in shock, the cribs empty. Oh God, she thought, no. She forced herself to control her breathing, and that's when she noticed the note in James' crib. She bent over to pick it up and read, breathing a sigh of relief in the process:

"_Hey Jackson, Sam,_

_Don't worry - the twins are fine. Seeing as you guys along with everyone else but General O'Neill and Carrie are gonna miss their birthday party, we thought we'd hold an early one for them. We would've woken you but T said that it was best that we didn't… Anywho, downstairs. When y'all get down, we'll go out back, and there's talk of cake._

_Cam (or if Jackson reads this first, Mitchell)._"

Smiling at their friends' thoughtfulness, she turned around to find Daniel, wearing only his boxers, standing in the doorway, looking at the cribs in confusion. He asked,

"Sam? Where are the twins?"

She gave him the note and remarked,

"They're having a birthday party."

Without thinking, they both sprinted downstairs and stopped in their tracks in the doorway between the lounge and kitchen on seeing their friends laughing and joking around the table, wrapped gifts in front of them, the twins in Jack and Teal'c's laps. Jack looked up and remarked,

"Talk about just out of bed… Carter, you're making me jealous of Daniel."

Embarrassed as they noticed their attire, they reddened profusely, and Vala loudly remarked, fanning her face,

"Forget about that! Daniel, you're making me jealous of Samantha!"

Cam shot her a glare as Sam and Daniel rushed away to shower and change, and the southern Colonel called after them,

"We'll send a search party if you take too long, so no funny stuff!"


	47. Birthday

SG-1 and Jack sat in the centre of the backyard, Sam and Daniel holding the twins as Jack lit the candles of a large cake that took pride of place in the centre of their people ring. Sam said with a smile,

"Thank you so much you guys… we considered this but there wasn't enough time."

Jack remarked with a smile as he made faces at a giggling Cammie,

"Well, no time like the present - mission's not 'til midday."

Daniel retorted with a grin,

"Nothing like cake for breakfast."

Cam replied with a chuckle,

"Better than a face mask."

Jack exclaimed, "Hey! No cake fights - this is good stuff…"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and said,

"What of the legendary place where warriors battle in a ring of jell-o?"

Everyone exchanged odd glances and Jack remarked,

"Didn't I tell you to ask Daniel about that!?"

Daniel retorted, "He did and I still don't know why - what do I know about jell-o wrestling?!"

"You know the name."

"Jaaack."

When Daniel frowned at him, Jack shrugged and said with a mischievous expression,

"I would've paid good money to see your face when he asked you about it."

Daniel just shook his head in disbelief, and Jonas asked,

"What _is_ jell-o wrestling?"

Vala retorted with a grin, "I should think it's self-explanatory - wrestling in jell-o… it's rather…"

Daniel raised his hand and said, "Kids."

Everyone chuckled, and Jack said as the candles were finally lit,

"Come on, let's get the twins wishing for an end to the war."

Sam and Daniel moved closer to the cake, the twins in their laps, and they helped them to blow out the candles. Cam stage-whispered to James,

"Now James, repeat after me, 'I wish Mommy and Daddy could get hitched _before_ they have to go away.'"

Everyone laughed, Daniel remarking,

"Like that'll happen. It'd mean the mission gets held off for a few years and those warships will be coming through the Supergate by then."

The couple didn't notice Jack and Cam exchange an odd glance, and then Vala nudged Cam, saying,

"Come on _Uncle Cam_, cut the cake!"

Cam rolled his eyes at her and remarked,

"It's Uncle Cam is it now?!"

He was about to say something else, something a little closer to home but Jack took charge and remarked as he cut up the cake,

"Fer cryin' out loud, you only had to cut the cake - there's no need for a domestic. Carrying on like that, you'd scare the Ori away for sure…"

He doled out the cake, and soon everyone was partaking in the pleasures of cake, very good cake with indescribable frosting. Sam and Daniel each fed the twins, and each other, small pieces of cake, which made their friends snicker. They glanced around at their happy friends, and Sam said with a sigh, smiling,

"We're glad that you're their official guardian, Sir."

Daniel added, swallowing a mouthful of cake,

"Ya, totally… I know I get snarky with you, but you're a good Dad."

Jack, embarrassed at his friends' praise, gazed down at his piece of cake and remarked with a dismissive gesture,

"Aw shucks."


	48. Life and Death Mission an' all

Sam and Daniel walked towards the gateroom, both of them dressed in combat gear, and the former remarked,

"You'd think that being the commander of SG-1, I'd know why we're being called to the gateroom a little earlier than scheduled… pfft, I'll bet Cam knows."

He replied, "Maybe there's a little sending off party or something because this is a pretty big mission, life and death and all that."

"Yeah…"

She trailed off as they entered the gateroom and found it full of SG personnel. She remarked, surprised,

"You coming with?"

Jack called from the gate ramp, "You two, get over here."

Perplexed, they did as they were told, only to find their team-mates and Tomin gathered around Jack and Landry. Daniel asked,

"Jack?"

Jack glanced at the two of them and said,

"We weren't sure if you'd agree or not, but seeing as you, Carter, are only officially SG-1 commander after you two get hitched, and this bein' a life an' death mission an' all…"

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, the former remarking,

"You're getting us hitched?"

"Only if you agree… when you come back, you can have the whole shebang…"

They glanced at each other again before saying with a surprised smile,

"Ok."

Cam cheered, and Jack said, gesturing to Landry,

"Hank can marry you… not… oh, never mind. He can do the whole _officiatin'_ thing and you've got a room full of witnesses. Come on, stand in front of the guy."

Thinking it all to be very surreal, Sam and Daniel stood in front of Landry as he officiated. Married, they grinned at each other, Sam making sure to thread her wedding ring onto the chain of her St Christopher, so that it rested next to her engagement ring. Daniel whispered as he held her hands, embarrassed at the crowd,

"We're married, Colonel-Doctor Carter-Jackson."

She whispered back with a grin matching his,

"So we are… but I'm going by Colonel Jackson."

Surprised, he leant in and kissed her tenderly, resulting in cheers rippling throughout the crowd, embarrassing them both. Their friends grinned from ear to ear, and Landry shook Sam's hand, saying,

"Congratulations, Colonel Jackson - you're now officially the commander of SG-1."

Jack added with a cheeky grin, "Now go on - you've got fifteen minutes!"

Embarrassed even more, they thanked their friends and Landry before leaving the gateroom hand in hand as everyone let out a huge cheer.

--------------------

In the privacy of Daniel's office, Sam remarked with a grin,

"I can't believe we're married… and that they did this for us!"

Grinning at her, he replied,

"Yeah… it all seemed so surreal!"

He leant in to kiss her, and it grew in passion as they lost themselves in the embrace, their arms around each other's waist. They parted, gazing at each other and he whispered,

"We're not living in sin any more… Colonel-Doctor Jackson."

She chuckled as she hugged him, whispering against his shoulder,

"Oh Daniel, this is going to be so great."

He caressed her hair as he replied, "I sure hope so."

--------------------

Just under fifteen minutes later, after tidying up their hair, clothes and Daniel's glasses, they returned to the gateroom, and were subjected to grins from their friends. Teal'c said with a smile as he hugged them both,

"May you fight like warriors, just not with each other."

They chuckled, thanking him, as Cam remarked,

"Boy, you should've seen your faces!"

Vala added as she grinned at an amused Tomin,

"Priceless."

Jonas hugged them both too, saying,

"Congratulations… I hope we get to see the ceremonies."

Sam replied as she exchanged a smile with Daniel,

"We hope so too."

Teal'c asked, "Would you prefer me to call you ColonelJackson or ColonelCarter?"

She replied, smiling, "Teal'c, you can call me Samantha… I told you that before but you insisted on the title thing."

"It is a mark of respect but if you insist, then very well… Samantha."

"Thank you."

Jack clapped his hands and remarked aloud from behind them,

"Ok you guys, you're good to go on a mission of lifetime - I wish I could go but hey… Anywho, good luck, Godspeed and all the rest. Carter, keep yourself and the rest of the kids out of trouble."

Landry added with a smile, "Same here."

Sam said with a smile, "Will do Sirs… General O'Neill, take care of James and Cammie."

"Damn straight I will…"

Walter called, "The Odyssey's ready to beam SG-1 up."

"Okie dokey… good luck!"

SG-1 smiled as they were beamed up to the Odyssey, where Ferretti remarked,

"Howdy y'all… next stop, the Ori galaxy… I hear it's nice this time of year."

Cam retorted with a grin, "Damn well better be - we've wasted money on those tickets if it's tipping it down."


	49. Shared Quarters

As the Odyssey travelled through hyperspace, avoiding the potentially monitored Supergate, Sam and Daniel slipped into their quarters, the former remarking,

"Wow… this is another advantage to being married - we get to share quarters!"

They sat at the foot of the bed together as he tenderly moved her hair from her eyes, saying with a smile that reached his eyes,

"I couldn't be happier."

"I guessed…"

He sobered up somewhat and said,

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to completely take my name if you don't want to… I was rather enamoured with Carter-Jackson."

"Oh really?"

She leant in to kiss him, and he retorted as he gazed at her,

"Totally…"

She remarked with a shy smile, "Well… Doctors Jackson sounds cool. Think of the fun when Cam calls you and we _both_ turn our heads."

He pulled her into a hug, whispering,

"Oh Sam."

--------------------

Roughly five hours later, Ferretti's voice came over the PA, albeit disguised as a Robert Newton class Pirate,

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain calling… y'arrrrgh… we have just entered the delightful neighbourhood of _Ver Isca_. If you'll look out of the right of the craft, you will see what our resident _Ver Iscan_ calls the _Dagmar cluster_. If you'll look out to the left, you will see a Burger King. Please alert a passing attendant if you wish to be let off here. Shiver me timbers…"

Sam and Daniel, who had been laid talking up until then, chuckled, the latter remarking,

"He's like Jack without the pain."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, Cam calling,

"Jackson…"

Before he could finish, the scientists quickly glanced at each and said in chorus,

"Yeah?"

They chuckled, Daniel calling as they sat up,

"It's open."

Cam tentatively peeked in, remarking,

"I see you've got the whole Jackson thing down pat… thank God you're not naked though."

The scientists blushed, and Cam said,

"So… Tomin's giving _Captain_ Ferretti a guided tour of his cosmic neighbourhood. He's teachin' him how to talk like a Pirate."

Sam remarked with a grin, "Ya, we heard. Wouldn't mind a Burger King though…"

Daniel retorted, a grin matching hers,

"Honey, I didn't know you were into processed beef."

"I'm not going to answer that - Cam's here."

Cam visibly cringed, remarking,

"Don't stop on my account… Anywho, you guys comin'?"

Without a word, they slid off the bed and followed Cam out, who remarked,

"Some honeymoon this is turnin' out to be, huh? You'll get someone asking _so where did you go on your honeymoon?_ And you'll be like _we went whuppin' some fiery Ori ass in another galaxy… how about you?_ Man, that would be a bad thing to come out with off-base."


	50. Anti Ori Underground

In orbit above Ver Isca, Sam assembled her 'away team' as Ferretti referred to it, forced by necessity to leave Vala onboard due to her being a known face on the planet. Necessity also forced her to take Tomin with her, despite the obvious risks, due to him being the one they needed to find the anti-Ori Underground.

They were beamed down into a secluded area, from where Tomin, disguised in hooded robes, led them back towards his village. He told Sam,

"There is still a small resistance group in my village that I only came to know of following my leaving the service of the Ori."

Sam asked, concerned, "They do know you, right?"

"Yes… but at the time, I was still commander of the forces. With you with me, it will be obvious that I am no longer working for the Ori."

Cam retorted, glaring at Tomin intensely for a moment,

"Nothin' like turnin' up to find the lights are off and the party's been moved."

They reached the village, and Sam ordered Teal'c and Jonas to stand guard at one of the village gates and to radio them in case they got company. The rest of SG-1 followed Tomin to a discreet corner of the village, to a boarded up albeit almost derelict wooden building. Tomin knocked three times on a board that covered a window and he called,

"I have come to collect the bread."

SG-1 exchanged odd glances at the code-phrase, and a door opened slightly, someone calling from behind,

"Who calls?"

"It is I, Tomin of Ver Isca… I wish to assist you."

There was a moment's hesitation, and then they were granted entrance, the person who had opened the door looking warily at Tomin and SG-1. Daniel stepped forward, saying,

"Hello… we're travellers from a galaxy far, far away… and we've come to ask you for your help… we wish to locate Ortus Mallum."

A group of people who had been approaching them in the darkened room stopped in their tracks, murmuring in surprise, and Tomin said,

"I have deserted the Ori, and support these people's cause."

The group was led into a candlelit room, the windows boarded up. A man, who appeared to be a leader, said,

"I am Sallid. As you may have already surmised, we are the anti-Ori Underground… and I am its leader. we would definitely help anyone who supports _our_ cause… but how can we be sure that you will not kill us?"

Sam replied, "We give you our word… Tomin has left the Ori after realising that they are false…"

Daniel added, "We're peaceful explorers. We're not here to harm anyone but the Ori."

The Underground members exchanged glances and shrugged slightly, convinced of SG-1 and Tomin's intentions. Sallid led them into another chamber, saying as he held a candle to light the way,

"The last Prior visitation was three nights previously… I believe he will return soon… luckily, he did not discover us."

They emerged into an even larger candle-lit room, and Cam asked, as everyone gazed around themselves,

"What is this place?"

Sallid replied as he indicated scrolls in compartments on the walls with his lit candle,

"These are ancient texts that hint at the location of Ortus Mallum. We have narrowed it down to fifteen potential places but due to our limited knowledge, we do not know for sure where they are."

Daniel asked, "May we look at them?"

"Of course… do you read our language?"

Daniel replied modestly, making Sam, Cam and Tomin smile,

"I, uh, I read a little."

He made his way to the walls as he carefully removed scrolls, and Sallid talked him through some of them.


	51. Scruples, or Lack Thereof

_I'm figuring that Baal's the other powerful enemy mentioned in the Ark of Truth spoilers 'cos the next film has his execution in it… well, if you didn't want spoilers, you wouldn't be reading this : D_

--------------------

Meanwhile, Earthside, Jack and Landry were in a meeting with a nervous looking Woolsey. The IOA Agent shuffled his papers and said as the impatient Generals looked on,

"My superiors ordered the fixture of a homing device on the Odyssey. It emits a signal at a similar frequency to that of Baal's fleet…"

The Generals immediately sat up straighter, Jack exclaiming,

"You're tellin' us this now?! You mean my kids are as good as snake food!?"

"I assure you that that wasn't their intention. The intention was to lure Baal's fleet out of this galaxy, and under the hope that they would be decimated by the Ori forces."

Landry remarked, angry, "That is absolutely reprehensible. We've sent our people out there and we can't warn them. You can tell your superiors to take a hike next time they do something like this… _if_ there is a next time."

Jack, his anger more visible, continued,

"Have you guys no scruples!!? My godkids are gonna be orphans 'cos of their stupid decision! They had no right - _no right_ - to do that. Do they have any idea how much we need SG-1 to succeed!? If they get tied up with Baal, the Ori will come through the Supergate in their ships and we'll be boned! Go on, clear off. There's no point in you hangin' around, gettin' yelled at 'cos of what your bosses were stupid enough to do."

Woolsey, visibly upset, quietly left, and Landry asked as he scrubbed his face with his hands,

"What the heck are we gonna do, Jack?! They've put a price on our kids' heads."

Jack, pacing the briefing room floor, said,

"We could try contactin' the Tok'ra… or some of Teal'c and Brat'ac's homies. Apart from that, we are essentially screwed. We'll have to have faith in our kids… they can do this… right?"

Landry sighed, replying, "They have to… I only hope that they get enough warning."

Suddenly remembering something, Jack asked,

"What about the Daedalus? I'm sure Atlantis wouldn't mind…"

"Jack, that was the whole point of having their very own intergalactic ship… and besides, it takes six hours by hyperspace to go to the Ori galaxy… we'll be too late."

"Damn… I miss Thor."

"My thoughts exactly."


	52. Sitting Ducks

While Sam watched Daniel, Tomin and Sallid read through the various scrolls, the Archaeologist taking copious notes, she radioed Teal'c,

"Teal'c - how're you doing?"

"I am fine as is JonasQuinn, ColonelCarter. What is transpiring?"

Smiling at his lapsing into using his usual name for her, she replied,

"Oh, uh, we've met the group and Daniel and Tomin are looking through some scrolls with the leader…"

She heard noise from his end and asked,

"Teal'c? What's going on?"

Just then she received a radio transmission from the Odyssey,

"Carter, this is Ferretti - we're being attacked by Baal's mothership - we're gonna have to beam you guys out - there's ground troops heading towards your position… Teal'c and Jonas are surrounded. We're trying to get a clear lock on you."

"Ok…"

She turned to her team, saying, "We need to split - Baal's found us."

She then asked Daniel, "Daniel, are you ready?"

He straightened up and nodded as he stretched, saying,

"Ya… got a lot of clues…"

"If we leave this place, we'll be spotted by Baal's men and the Underground will be killed. We need a distraction…"

Just then, Ferretti called,

"Oh, and if that wasn't enough Carter, we've got more company…"

She heard someone shout in the background,

"Shields down to 42!"

"Ya… Ori toilet ship… Baal's emitting a strong EM field that's messing up the beaming frequencies but we're workin' on it - we're gettin' your asses out of there."

"Copy that."

She turned to Sallid and asked, "Is there a concealed exit?"

He wordlessly led the team through a labyrinth of corridors and rooms and out through a concealed backdoor. Sallid asked,

"May I accompany you?"

Sam replied as she readied her P-90,

"I'm sorry but we're under attack - there's no guarantee that you'll survive the trip to our ship."

Daniel added, "Sorry…"

Sallid replied, grabbing his arm Jaffa style,

"It does not matter - what matters is that you have the facilities and resources to follow up the clues. Good luck."

"Thank you."

Sam said, "Right men, move out!"

They jogged around the back of the building, watchful of any sign of the enemy. Tomin then directed her through the woods so as to escape capture. Then they crossed a medium-sized clearing that left them vulnerable for a brief period. They were soon engaged in a fire-fight with Jaffa and Ori soldiers, who were also fighting each other.

Covering her friends, Sam ordered them to cross the remaining part of the clearing as she returned fire before sprinting after them, still shooting. She saw an Ori soldier take aim at her and she dove into the woods in front of her, narrowly escaping a fatal wound, although she was shot in the arm. Daniel and Cam pulled out their medical supplies to treat her wound as she grimaced in pain.

She thanked them and they ran through the remaining woods, and were soon helping Teal'c and Jonas fend off the soldiers. Suddenly, they each felt as though they were being beamed up so they stopped shooting and within seconds were aboard the bridge of the Odyssey, in front of a very relieved crew. Vala pulled Cam and Tomin into hugs as Ferretti asked, glancing at her wound.

"Carter, you ok?"

"I'll live… what the hell happened?"

"Ok… Cliff Notes version - we've got a homing device aboard that attracted Baal's ship like a cat to a mouse. I got Lewis and Allen checking it out now with frequency scanners and stuff… the, uh, toilet ship arrived soon afterwards to whup Baal's ass and possibly, just possibly, to try and give us a kickin' too - they detected the Asgard energy signature. Shields are down 30 and most of everything's offline. We're sittin' ducks."

As if on cue, they were rocked by a blast as they were fired on by Baal. Marks called out,

"Shields down to 22 percent."

Sam asked as they all steadied themselves,

"Hyper drive?"

"Out of action - got Johnson on that… we could use your help."

"What about phase-shifting?"

"Ditto."

She quickly joined an Airman at a set of controls and went about typing quickly into the console. She then said,

"We'll need to reroute auxiliary power to the shields…"

Before she could continue, Marks called,

"We've got an incoming transmission from Baal."

Ferretti remarked, "_Now_ they're hailing us?! Ok, patch it through."

A live image of Baal's face appeared on the viewing screen, and he sneered, despite being fired on himself,

"Tau'ri ship, your shields are almost depleted as are your weapons. If you do not surrender the Asgard technology, we will disable you further and seize the technology nonetheless."

Cam remarked, "Aw hell no… typical avaricious Goa'uld…"

Ferretti replied to Baal, "Hey evil buddy, you may not think we've noticed but you're takin' some pretty bad hits too."

He nodded to Marks who closed the communication channel, and once more they watched Baal's mothership and the Ori warship firing at each other and themselves. Marks called,

"Shields are down."

Everyone glanced at each other, wondering if this was the end. Daniel calling out, nervously hitching his glasses up,

"Uh, Sam?"

Sam called back as she typed furiously,

"Just a minute."

Cam remarked, "We may not have that long!"

Marks called out, "Enemy ships are aiming at us."

Ferretti called, "Carter? Now would be good."

Closing her eyes briefly, she hit a button. Everyone watched in horror as two powerful energy beams came towards them, but were stunned when they passed straight through them. The enemy ships repeatedly fired and the crew of the Odyssey gazed around themselves in amazement at the now harmless weapons fire raining down on them.

Ferretti exhaled, remarking, "That was close… nice job Carter."

Sam, still typing, replied, "It'll only hold for around fifteen minutes but that should be more than enough time to get the hyper drive back online again."

"Okie dokey - you do that. Marks, damage report."

Marks replied, "Hull breaches on decks 5-8. Navigation, communications, shields, hyper drive and weapons are all out."

Ferretti asked, "What's in?"

Cam retorted, "Iced tea and David Schwimmer."

"Simpsons aficionado, eh?"

Everyone but Tomin smiled, and Marks continued,

"Life support, phase shifting, sub-light engines…"

Sam called, "Hyper drive's online!"

Ferretti replied, "Good work Carter. Right… where do we go?"

Tomin suggested, "The nearest solar system… I recognised one of the planets in the scrolls… I'll enter the co-ordinates."

Ferretti nodded and Tomin moved to Sam's console and entered co-ordinates. A hyper drive window opened right in between the two enemy ships and the Odyssey slipped into it, just as the phase shifting field deactivated.


	53. Ellipses

SG-1 and the Odyssey followed a series of clues, albeit fruitlessly, and Daniel crossed off each potential planet on the list. When they had run out of options, Tomin, Ferretti, and the team sans Daniel held a briefing to discuss other potential options while the ship remained cloaked, and the Asgard systems were switched off so as to escape detection by either enemy. Sam said with a sigh,

"It's quite possible that it's in a completely different galaxy… or may have been destroyed completely. I suppose the only good things to come out of all this is the destroying of the homing device and knowing that this Ortus Mallum place hasn't been on any of the planets that we searched."

Ferretti suggested, "Couldn't they have hidden it in another dimension… like Merlin's device?"

Jonas replied, "No… from what, I, ah, understand, most of the Ancients ascended to escape the plague, which means that they were originally like us… like Ayiana."

Just then Daniel entered with a huge piece of paper and he sat down, not looking at anyone as he connected a series of dots. Cam remarked with a smile,

"Boy Jackson, it's all dot-to-dots for you!"

Vala retorted, "He just makes them that way because he likes to draw."

Sam asked, touching Daniel's hand,

"Daniel?"

He looked up at her and smiled briefly as Ferretti remarked,

"Come on, out with Daniel - everyone here but Tomin has the highest security clearance in the United States government."

Daniel gestured towards the paper saying,

"It's a map containing each clue… maybe the clues are pointing to somewhere else as opposed to being the places themselves. We've experienced this before with Merlin's laboratory. Morgan's clues pointed towards the place but didn't explicitly name it… all we have to do is…"

He marked a cross in the centre of the crossed ellipses that he had drawn, and continued,

"… look for a planet right in the middle of the said clues and we should be on the right track… Tomin?"

Tomin glanced at the map and said,

"I am not familiar with that sector of the galaxy, but I do know where it is."

Cam remarked as he smiled slightly at Daniel,

"I'll bet this is the one."

Sam retorted with a grin, "Don't jinx it!"

Ferretti added, "Too right… I wanna go home before my first grey hair!"

Sam remarked good-naturedly,

"First?!"

Smiling, he shook his head slightly at her before saying,

"Ok folks… next stop… the centre of two ellipses. Boy, that sounds odd."

Sam remarked as she ruffled Daniel's hair,

"You should hear Daniel's Welsh."


	54. Ortus Mallum

_I've used the Franco-Latin forms of the names of Arthurian legend, except for one, so as not to confuse you too much_

--------------------

Tomin directed the Odyssey to the relevant part of the Ori galaxy, which appeared surprisingly sparse with regard to solar systems. Marks reported,

"There is only one system matching the description from Doctor Jackson's clues. Sensors detect a single planet with a breathable atmosphere, and temperatures ranging from a mean of fifty Celsius at the equator to seventy below zero at the Polar Regions. Heading 223.2334 mark 8."

Ferretti glanced around at SG-1, asking, "Any objections?"

Sam glanced around at her friends and replied, "Nope… I think this could be the one."

Ferretti grinned, remarking, "About time too!"

He continued, "Ok, go for it, Marks. Set course for the planet that could save our planet's ass."

Marks replied as he pressed a series of buttons, "Yes Sir… ETA in three hours."

Cam glanced at Daniel and remarked, "You better have interpreted that tablet right, Jackson."

Daniel retorted sarcastically, "Oh, yes Mitchell, I meant three orbs in the day instead of two…"

Sam squeezed his hand discreetly as she glanced at him, smiling, and he smiled back.

--------------------

SG-1 and Tomin beamed down onto a temperate part of the planet's surface, near a cave network. They were greeted by an old man, similar in appearance to Merlin, who carried a large staff. He said,

"Greetings, I am Artur, keeper of the Ark of Truth."

Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise, and asked, "Artur? As in Artur, son of Uther Pendragon? Ameraudur?"

Cam asked as everyone but Jonas glanced at Daniel in confusion, "Jackson?"

Artur replied to Daniel's questions, "That I am. You know, you bear a striking resemblance to Sir Galahad."

He glanced around at Cam, Teal'c and Sam, continuing, "Sir Percival, Sir Gawain, and my lady Guinevere."

Sam, confused, smiled awkwardly at Artur as he stooped to kiss her hand, and asked, "Daniel? What's going on?"

Daniel, whose eyes had long since glazed over along with Jonas', replied in awe, "This, Colonel-Doctor Jackson, is King Arthur."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Cam asked, "Knights of the Round table King Arthur?"

Jonas replied, awed, "The same one."

Vala remarked with a grin, "Arthur King of the Britons? Defeater of the Black Knight? Bringer of the Shrubbery of Ni?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and said, sounding exasperated, "Vala, that's Monty Python."

Sam asked, "I take it we're in Ortus Mallum then?"

Artur replied as he gestured for them to follow him, "That you are my dear lady."

As they followed him, Sam glanced at Daniel and noticed his awed expression. She smiled, and he turned to look at her, smiling too, saying,

"I can't believe we've met King Arthur!"

"Yep… defying plausibility with this job, aren't we?"

They were led into a large torch-lit chamber, where Artur activated a force field behind them so as to deter any unwanted guests. He stood upon a pedestal and hit the floor once with his staff, and the entire room was illuminated, Cam remarking with an impressed smile at the staff,

"I gotta get me one of those things!"

SG-1 and Tomin gazed around themselves in awe at the huge cavernous chamber. Artur descended awkwardly from the pedestal before standing before SG-1. Sam attempted to call the Odyssey but was unsuccessful, and Artur said,

"My dear lady, your communication device will not function here - my shield prevents it."

Sam switched her radio off and asked, "So where's the Ark?"

Artur smiled, saying, more to himself than anyone else, "You were always so impatient, Guinevere."

Daniel smiled at Sam, before Artur continued in a louder voice, "My dear lady, many have come in search of the Ark, but many have failed. As with them, you will have to undergo a series of tests of worthiness to reach the Ark."

SG-1 exchanged glances and Cam remarked with a shrug, "We can do that. We're all for quests of worthiness."

"Only Guinevere, Galahad, Percival and Gawain may undertake the tests of worthiness as it is written that a band of four knights will come to defeat the Ori. I am afraid that your friends will have to wait here. Do not fear for their safety for they will be safe - I will not permit any harm to come to the friends of my friends."

Jonas, Vala and Tomin looked disappointed, and Sam asked, "Artur, can we not take them with us? They are our friends and have fought side by side with us in battle."

"Alas my fair lady, if the decision were mine, I would permit it, but as it is not, I cannot. Fear not fair Guinevere."

He proceeded to tell them of the tests that they had to pass in order to be deemed worthy to reach the Ark. When he had finished, Sam turned to Vala, Jonas and Tomin, saying, "If we get into trouble or take too long, your orders are to find a way to deactivate that field and contact the Odyssey."

Vala and Jonas nodded, both of them wishing the rest of SG-1 good luck, and then Vala did something entirely surprising. She approached Cam and kissed him. Surprised at first, he kissed her back as Tomin looked away, feeling more than a little awkward. Cam reached under his t-shirt and pulled out his dog tags, putting them in her hand as he said,

"If I don't make it back, give this to my folks."

He kissed her one more time, and Artur remarked, a small smile playing on his lips, "Ah Percival, you always found it difficult to leave lady Blanchefleur behind."

Sam whispered to Daniel, "Daniel? Did he just say…?"

Daniel whispered back, "Whiteflower. It's the name of Sir Percival's sweetheart in a later version of the story."

She nodded, and Artur tapped his staff on the floor to get everyone's attention, and he said, "It is time my friends."

A large stone door rolled open behind him and he gestured for the knights to enter it, saying, "Your journey begins now, my knights. May good fortune remain with you."

Vala called out as she held Tomin's arm, "If you see a dragon, its name is Daryl!"

Jonas called, "Good luck you guys."

Tomin added with a smile, "May you succeed and bring about the end of the false gods."

Cam remarked as he glanced at Vala, "No pressure huh?"

Daniel said to their friends, "Thanks."

Sam glanced around at the chosen members of SG-1 and said, "Right men, move out."

She led them through the doorway, and Cam clapped her on the shoulder, remarking with a grin, "Come on Colonel Jackson, let's go down the mighty Mississipp'."


	55. River of Worth

_Ok, Danny mentions the events of Quest Part II here, which might confuse you if 1) you haven't seen it, or 2) you're wondering how they fitted everything in around the pregnancies… well, I suppose you could imagine that the mission to the Amazon planet happened sometime after the Shroud, and pretend that Unending didn't happen at all (I know I do – act. I've got an AU in mind to fit it into this story... might mention it in the sequel)..._

_--------------------_

SG-1 walked along a large rocky precipice, a river rushing through the large canyon several hundred feet below, their path becoming illuminated by wooden torches that suddenly lit as they walked past them. Cam remarked as he scanned their surroundings,

"It's just rock, rock, rock, huh? The Ori could've done with an interior decorator."

Teal'c retorted as he too scanned their surroundings, "I believe it would be wise to forgo the interior decorator and simply demolish the entire structure."

His team-mates chuckled, and Sam asked Daniel, "He said River of Worth didn't he?"

Daniel replied with a smile, "Yes he did, Guinevere."

She shook her slightly, smiling, as Cam remarked, "We must really look like those folks for two old guys to mistake us for them."

Daniel replied, gesturing to Teal'c as he remembered his time as host to Merlin's consciousness, "Yes… Merlin didn't recognise Sir Gawain though… but you guys do look a lot like them, especially Sam. The likeness between her and Guinevere is particularly striking."

Cam and Teal'c smirked as Daniel smiled at Sam, who remarked, embarrassed, "I don't know whether to take that as an insult or not."

Cam retorted with a grin, "The way Galahad here's looking at you, I'd say it's quite the contrary."

She smiled back at Daniel before returning her attention back to where they were walking. The ground began to slope downwards, and they soon found themselves on the bank of the very river that they had been walking above. Daniel murmured,

"Cross ye all those who are worthy, perish ye those who are not."

Sam glanced around at her friends and asked, "Are we worthy enough?"

Cam shrugged, saying, "We've been through that whole thing with Merlin's weapon, so hey, why not?"

Sam glanced at Daniel and remarked, "Ok, so Galahad, what do we do?"

Daniel's attention wandered along the edge of the bank, and he asked, distracted, "Uh Teal'c? How deep do you reckon that water is?"

Teal'c peered at the rushing water in front of them, replying, "I believe it to be fordable, DanielJackson."

Sam raised her eyebrows at the swelling current, saying uncertainly, "As much as I trust you with my life Teal'c, I think we'd be risking our lives unduly, and I'm not going to let you do that unless it's absolutely necessary. There's got to be some other way."

She idly tapped the edge of the bank with her foot, and suddenly there was a deep rumbling. Teal'c quickly pulled her to safety as a huge clear crystalline structure shot up through the compacted mud surface of the bank. They watched in awe and amazement as a large bridge formed over the river, and Cam remarked,

"Hey, talk about married couples sharing traits - you may have just developed Jackson's knack for discovering things at the oddest of times."

They chuckled, and Sam cautiously led the way, making sure that it was safe, with Teal'c bringing up the rear. They arrived safely on the other side, and Sam remarked as the bridge silently exploded into orbs of brilliant white light,

"I, uh, I guess we're worthy enough to cross the river… that's a start."

Daniel patted her on the shoulder, and she continued, "I suppose this next one's going to be a tough cookie."

Cam asked, "What gives you that impression?"

Teal'c replied, "There are only three tasks of worthiness… logically they will increase in difficulty to prevent the less worthy, or alternatively, the final task will be of immense difficulty."

Daniel shrugged, saying, "We've still go to do them if we're to save the galaxies."

Sam remarked with a grin, "Doesn't get old, does it?"

Teal'c replied with a smirk, "Indeed."

"Right move out men… next stop, the Trek of Valour… you know, that sounds like the name of a Star Trek episode."

Cam remarked resulting in Teal'c raising an eyebrow,

"Pfft, it sounds like an alien name."


	56. Red Knight

_Yes, I know the swordfight is a rip-off of Star Wars. : )_

--------------------

SG-1 walked through a dark rocky landscape, the walls illuminated by the flickering of flames that they couldn't see. Using the flashlights on their P-90s to light the way, Sam remarked,

"You'd think an advanced race would have invented a light source that isn't as primitive as fire."

Daniel replied, "It's central to Origin. The Ancients may have generated the associations of fire with demonic imagery in our galaxy so as to shield us from the Ori. There is no immediate illogicality with fire being a symbol of all things good, like heat, light and a medium to cook by."

Cam remarked, "Protectin' us for our own good?"

"Something like that."

Suddenly they grimaced in pain and flew backwards, falling onto their backs, and Cam remarked as he held his nose, "Shoot… while saving galaxies doesn't get old, force fields do… aah."

Sam asked her friends as she held her sore nose, "Teal'c? Jackson? Mitchell? Everyone ok?"

She received three muffled replies of 'yes', and she checked Daniel's nose due to it bleeding. She cleaned and plastered it, as Cam remarked with a grin, "That really is sweet."

Daniel murmured, "Shut up Mitchell."

Sam smiled as they all got up, and she and Teal'c tested different parts of the force field with the barrels of their P-90s. She said,

"Right, I think we took a wrong turn."

They looked around for another exit, when Artur appeared before them. Following a hunch, Cam reached out, and his hand passed straight through the figure. Artur then said,

"I am not really here, Percival - I am what you would call a hologram. My fair Guinevere, the shield will vanish once one of the knights has defeated the Red Knight."

Cam remarked with an intense glare, "Aw man, I bashed his brother already."

The hologram disappeared without another word, and soon they heard the sound of a trotting horse. P-90s raised, they faced the direction of the sound, when a yellow horse appeared, the source of the noise, and a knight in red, shining armour seated astride it. Daniel whispered,

"He's certainly got the fire imagery down pat."

Cam remarked in reply, "Is it me, or does that horse remind you of…"

Daniel smiled as he finished his sentence, "The Three Musketeers… D'Artagnan's funny looking horse. I'm surprised you read it."

"Hey, I do read from time to time, despite my alleged parentage."

The knight trotted up to them on horseback, before dismounting. He said in an echoing voice,

"I am Mordred, the Red Knight. If you wish to continue this quest, your most worthy champion must defeat me, otherwise I will kill all of you."

Cam stepped forward, and was about to say something, when Sam stepped in front of him, Daniel attempting unsuccessfully to grab her arm. Cam whispered,

"Sam, what are you doin'?"

"You've already had one knight fight, and you're going to tell your godchildren about it."

She squared her shoulders and said to the Red Knight, "I will fight you."

The Knight's chilling laughter echoed throughout the cavernous interior of their surroundings, and he said scornfully, "Your champion is a woman?! Are you men or are you mice? A knight cannot fight a woman."

Sam angrily retorted, "Oh yeah?"

Daniel whispered to Cam, "Uh-oh."

"What?"

"She's definitely going to fight him now… remember the Simarka report?"

"Oh… oh crap."

Teal'c whispered, "I believe that she can defeat him."

Daniel clapped him on the shoulder as Sam continued, "What's me being a woman got to do with it!? I can easily kick your shiny red ass!"

A glowing blue sword appeared at her feet and she picked it up as the Knight mockingly replied,

"Of course you could, my dear… you may dress like a man, but you are far from being a man."

"Ok, I'll strike you a deal - you fight me and I kick your ass, and you accept that I'm just as good as or even better than a man."

"Fine, my dear. Go ahead."

Sam placed her combat vest , P-90 and jacket on the floor, and the Knight continued, disbelieving, "The duel will be forfeited if any of your knights intercede. This is a fight to the death. When I succeed, I will slaughter your knights as is my right. May I remind you that no-one has defeated me?"

Sam retorted, "This might just be your lucky day."

She approached Daniel, who smiled at her despite the pain in his eyes, and she slid an arm around his neck as she kissed him, and he kissed her back. They parted, and he whispered as he caressed her jaw, sadness in his eyes,

"Good luck Samantha."

"Thanks Daniel."

Cam and Teal'c wished her good luck too, and she turned back to the Knight, when suddenly her and her opponent were bathed in a circle of white light, separating them from the rest of SG-1. The Knight lunged at her with his sword, not a serious attempt as he only intended to scare her into hysterics with a flesh wound. To his surprise, she dodged the blow, and skilfully fought him back.

The two of them continued to fight, their swords making humming noises as they made contact, Sam gaining several first degree burns on her arms and through her t-shirt. Suddenly, she was knocked flat on her back, her sword flying just out of reach. Through the blinding white light, she could see her friends' faces fall, and she looked up in time to see the Knight standing over her, ready to run her through with his sword. She quickly kicked him with both feet, the Knight flying backwards, his armour clattering on the ground. She grabbed her sword and he instantly sat up, and they resumed fighting.

A while later, she discovered an opening and took it. She ran him through with her sword, and he writhed in agony before exploding into orbs of yellow flame, Sam shielding her face with her arm. The swords, horse and white light soon disappeared, along with the force field as Teal'c discovered, and Sam quickly picked up her gear before sprinting as she called,

"Come on you guys, we don't know how long this is going to stay down!"

On the other side of where the force field had been, Cam and Daniel checked out her burns, the former remarking, "You know, this means we're even on knight fights."

Sam retorted as she grimaced in pain, "Pfft, you just got pain… I got pain and burns."

Daniel remarked with a slight smile, "That was a little too Star Wars."

Teal'c replied as he scanned their surroundings, "It is a shame that we could not acquire those swords on a permanent basis."

Her wounds bandaged, Sam put her gear back on, and Daniel said with a smile, "You certainly kicked his ass."

She affectionately touched his jaw as she replied, grinning, "I sure did… it'll teach him to scorn a woman."

She glanced around at her team-mates before saying, "Right… onwards men."


	57. Taurus and a Whirlpool

_Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is real. It's the name of a train station in Anglesey, North-West Wales (GB). The name, at fifty-eight English characters (fifty-one in Welsh due to double letters), is the longest officially recognised place name in the United Kingdom._

--------------------

SG-1 soon came across a huge, sheer cliff face looming in front of them, inscribed in Welsh, as Daniel pointed out, and illuminated by flickering fire that they still couldn't see. He read it, murmuring the translation to himself before saying,

"Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch."

Sam raised an eyebrow, as did Teal'c, and Cam remarked, "I know you're a linguist, Jackson, but could you please translate it into normal-speak?!"

Daniel replied distractedly as he gazed up at the inscription, "It's Welsh… it means: St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave. It's the name of a train station on the isle of Anglesey, just off the coast of North-West Wales."

Sam remarked, "Daniel, we're thousands of light years away from Earth, let alone the UK… what's going on?"

Daniel replied with a shrug, "It could be directions."

Teal'c added, "Perhaps it is a puzzle."

Cam asked, "What about Arthur? From what I've picked up, the King Arthur myth was set round the west of Britain."

Daniel glanced at him as he replied, "The only Arthur link to Anglesey that I can think of is King Arthur's seat near Beaumaris, but Beaumaris wasn't settled in until after his time… hello."

They all looked at him as he peered at the inscription, Sam asking, "Daniel?"

His eyes narrowed briefly and suddenly widened. He said,

"There's an Ancient letter at different intervals… it could be a code."

He brandished a piece of paper and a pen as he wrote down a series of numbers signifying the intervals at which the Ancient letters appeared. When he finished, Sam looked over his shoulder and said, awed,

"They're Fibonacci numbers!"

Cam remarked, feigning exasperation, "Jackson the second, in English!"

She looked at him and explained, trying to contain her excitement, "It's a sequence of numbers, beginning with two starting values, where each successive value is the sum of the two preceding ones. It appears in nature too - branching in trees, the arrangement of a pine cone…. dear God…"

Cam exchanged a confused glance with Teal'c before remarking, "You're not advocating the Da Vinci Code… are you?!"

Sam closed her eyes briefly, and Teal'c replied, "A Fibonacci sequence was only used as a cipher for the code left by Saunière to his granddaughter."

When everyone stared at him, surprised, he continued with a smirk, "O'Neill gave me a copy of the book for Christmas last year."

Cam clapped him on the shoulder before remarked, "So, Jacksons, what's the skinny? Welsh inscription, Italian sounding numbers, Teal'c being a fan of Dan Brown…"

Daniel replied, "It could be an access code. I guess we look for a console…"

They looked around but finding nothing of the sort, Teal'c said, "Perhaps we are meant to press the Ancient characters."

Cam asked, raising his hand, "Hold on a sec - what do the Ancient letters spell? Could they be an anagram…?"

Daniel shook his head, replying, "Nope… thought of that already… there are only two letters used - one at odd intervals and the other at even intervals. I've written them down but there's nothing there."

Sam said, glancing at Teal'c, "I like Teal'c's idea…"

Cam asked, "How are we gonna get up there?!"

Sam readied her P-90, remarking as Cam looked at her in disbelief, "It doesn't say how hard we have to push them."

She aimed, shooting each Ancient letter in order. When she had finished, there was a deep rumbling. The cliff face slowly slid to one side, Cam remarking, "Jeez, those ascended beings certainly like their rocks and sliding doors…"

Suddenly, great fireballs shot out from the darkness beyond, and Sam pulled Daniel out of their path. Teal'c quietly remarked, "What would happen if we shouted Puff?"

Cam exclaimed, "Aw hell no… it's not another dragon, is it!?"

Sam shone the flashlight of her P-90 in as she and Teal'c flanked the doorway, saying, "Guys? Sorry to disappoint you - but there's no dragon. I think that was a security feature to scare the living snot out of us. Come on."

She led them into yet another rocky cavern, the cliff face shutting behind them. They turned around, shocked and unsure, and Cam remarked, "That's supposed to do that… right?"

With Teal'c bringing up the rear, Sam led the team through the dark cavern, their way being lit by automatically lighting torches. Daniel gazed up at the huge walls, remarking quietly,

"Certainly looks gothic, whatever this place is."

They spied rushing brooks and streams at different levels in the rocks, and strangely, healthy looking bushes and shrubs. Cam remarked,

"Maybe we need one of those shrubberies to save us the trip back."

Teal'c smiled slightly, retorting, "I do not believe that we will encounter a band of knights who will say something as simple and yet annoying as 'ni'."

Suddenly, they heard rustling, and they aimed their P-90s at a series of large bushes to their right. A large beast, similar to a bull in size and appearance, charged at them, and they released a volley of bullets at it, which had no other effect than annoying the creature further. Teal'c discharged his zat three times, which also had no effect, so Sam yelled,

"Move out!"

They ran, Teal'c attempting to fend off the creature with P-90 bullets. The creature chased them, when Daniel suddenly realised something. He said, gasping for breath,

"What if we were to shoot him in the same sequence as those numbers?"

Sam replied, "Jackson, that's ridiculous… it'd be a logistical nightmare, and think how many bullets we'd waste trying to get it right!"

"Well, you think of something!"

"Fine… how about name magic!?"

He paused, much to his friends' concern, and he turned around, shouting at the beast, "Taurus!"

Much to their surprise, it stopped and stood on its hind legs in a similar manner to a dog. Cam remarked, looking up at it,

"Holy, that's not a pretty picture… and it's a dude…"

He turned to Daniel and asked, "Taurus?!"

Daniel smiled at a smug Sam, and replied, "It's my wife's star sign. Taurus is Latin for bull."

Sam retorted with a grin, "At least you know my birthday."

She continued as the beast began to move, "Ok, I think we better split - Jackson's lips only worked for so long…"

They resumed running, and Teal'c asked, "What of the inscription, DanielJackson? Perhaps that is a place of safety from the beast?"

The beast began to run again, and they all yelled, still running, "Taurus!"

It paused again, making Cam uncomfortable with its display of its genitalia, and soon they came across a whirlpool. Cam asked,

"Jackson?"

Daniel said, "Look for something made of white hazel or a red cave."

They quickly looked around, aware that the beast had begun to move again, and Teal'c said, eyeing something on the other side of the whirlpool, "There is a white circle and a shallow red hole in the ground over in that direction."

They ran around the whirlpool, to the circle and hole, and Sam asked, "What now?"

Daniel raised his eyes briefly before saying, "How about we stand in them? Taurus is still chasing us."

The four members of SG-1 stood awkwardly close together, but noticed that the beast was still charging at them. Cam asked,

"How about a foot in each?"

They did just that, and suddenly they were bathed in white light, and seconds later, found themselves in a completely different cavern, with no big beasts in sight. The rest of SG-1 clapped Cam on the shoulder, Daniel saying with a grin,

"Well done Mitchell."


	58. Dragons' Teeth

Sam asked, confused as they looked around their different but similar looking surroundings, "Which way now?"

Daniel replied as he and the rest of the team gazed up at the sheer rock faces illuminated by unseen flickering flames, "Uh, well, seeing as before Taurus made Mitchell feel uncomfortable, we were planning on walking this..."

He pointed in the direction that they had originally planned on going, and continued as Cam glared at him briefly, "... way, it's probably the same direction."

Sam asked Teal'c for his opinion, and the Jaffa replied, "I concur."

Cam smiled slightly as the four members of SG-1 set out, remarking, "Man of few words."

Teal'c simply smirked a little, bowing his head as Daniel glanced at him, and Sam replied, leading the group as they walked through their rocky surroundings, "Oh yeah, that being one heck of an understatement."

They had been walking for some time through the rocky landscape when Sam stopped, frowning as she looked down at her feet. As she toed the now softer ground with her foot, Daniel and Cam exchanged a glance, the former asking as he stepped closer to Sam,

"Sam?"

She looked up at him and replied as Teal'c joined her, "The ground's earth. It was rock before but now it's earth."

As Cam and Daniel imitated her, noticing what she had noticed, Teal'c said as he straightened up, "ColonelCarter is correct."

Sam, following an instinct, brandished her zat, arming it, and she walked a few steps before discharging it, a bolt striking something unseen, blue light streaking from the epicenter of where she had shot. Cam remarked, rubbing his nose as he remembered hitting their previous forcefield,

"Thanks for that, Sam - two nose-to-forcefield contacts in one day would have been tough."

She spun around, just as Artur's hologram appeared, and they gathered closer to the hologram as he spoke, "Fair Guinevere, this is the penultimate deed of the Trek of Valour, the final being the Leap of Faith. Your task is to sow the dragon's teeth that will appear. Up will spring fully-armed warriors and you are to battle them."

SG-1, agape, stared in disbelief at the hologram's words as it disappeared, a wide, shallow bowl of dragon's teeth appearing instead, surrounded by four glowing blue swords. Cam remarked as the males picked up their swords, Sam picking up the bowl, offering dragon's teeth to her friends,

"Poor dragons..."

He added as he took a handful of teeth, glancing at Daniel, "We could do with some guys on horses instead of growing our own enemies... Oh, the irony. Hey, maybe if you sing to them..."

Daniel shot him a glare as both Sam and Teal'c looked increasingly amused, and he retorted, "Or if you give them your macaroons."

Cam shot back, rather petulantly whilst pretending to look offended, "At least I don't need glasses."

"At least I know what I'm talking about."

"At least everyone can understand what I'm saying most of the time..."

"At least..."

As their voices grew in volume, Sam threw a handful of teeth at them, saying heatedly as they looked at her in surprise, flinching at the teeth, "Hey! You want to fight, hold out 'til later! We're on a mission."

The two men mumbled apologies, looking down at their feet as Teal'c smirked, and Sam said, throwing the now empty bowl off to the side, "That's better. Now come on, it's planting season."

The four members of SG-1 went about sowing the teeth, stepping back quickly, their P-90's raised as their first line of defence, as the ground rumbled beneath them, several fully armed warriors springing up from the soil with glowing red swords and advancing on the team. Sam gave the order to fire, but the bullets had no effect on the warriors so they quickly decided to use their swords.

During the intense battle that ensued, SG-1 struggling against the greater number of warriors, each of them receiving severals small burns, Sam shouted, elbowing a warrior in the face as she fought off another one with her sword, "We're outnumbered!"

Cam called back sarcastically, grunting as he kicked one of his opponents, just about managing to run his sword through another, "Really?!"

Teal'c said, faring slightly better in his efforts as he killed two in quick succession, their bodies exploding into yellow orbs, "We require an alternative."

Sam over at Daniel as he battled two warriors at the same time, another one advancing on him but fought off by Teal'c, and she called, "Jackson? Any ideas?"

Daniel, grunting and frowning in concentration as he channelled his energies in fighting, "Jason and the Argonauts had a similar thing. The King of Colchis forced Jason to do what we did with the dragon's teeth. He had to fight the warriors but the King's daughter gave him a magical stone. He threw it in amongst them and - ah! - they started fighting and killing each other over it."

Cam remarked as Teal'c looked thoughtful, "We don't have any magic stones!"

Teal'c called before Daniel could reply, "It does not matter. The story appears to be an allegory of human nature."

Daniel managed to smile proudly despite just being burnt by a warrior's sword, and Sam, getting an idea, shouted, "Fall back! I've got an idea."

They did so with great difficulty, and Sam said to her curious friends, "Throw me your C-4."

As Teal'c fought off the odd warrior that approached them, the others reluctant to leave the battleground, he and the rest threw Sam their blocks of C-4 as Cam smirked at a memory of dragons and their underbellies. Sam quickly taped together the blocks, including her own, and ran around to the other side of the battlefield, shouting as she waved the huge block around,

"Hey! I've got a present from Earth for you!"

The warriors, now roaring, advanced on her and she promptly threw it in amongst them, sprinting back to her friends as they watched the warriors fight over the block. Sam flicked a switch and the mass of squabbling warriors exploded into orbs of yellow flame. Teal'c said as they cautiously walked onwards,

"That was indeed a present, ColonelCarter."

Cam patted the Jaffa on the back as Daniel hitched his glasses up, raising his eyebrows, and Sam poked the barrel of her P-90 through where the forcefield had been. To their collective relief, it had disappeared, and they stepped through before tending to each other's injuries. Cam remarked, hissing through his teeth as he lifted his t-shirt while Sam kneeled, bandaging a wound on his waist,

"I'm just about ready to retire..."

Daniel said with a wistful expression as Teal'c patched up his back, "I don't think we'll ever get to retire... We'll keep getting called for things like this, and even when the programme's public, we'll probably end up at conventions, giving out autographs, heaven forbid."

As Sam and Cam laughed, Teal'c replied, "Like the cast of Wormhole X-Treme... I believe the female lead and the man who plays Doctor Levant recreated a kiss at one such convention, following a question regarding a picture of what was reputed to be a certain scene from a season seven episode."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, and Cam remarked, "Well, what d'ya know, T's a Wormhole X-Tremer."

Sam frowned slightly and asked out of curiosity, "Did you go to one?"

Teal'c replied, standing taller, "I have not. I read convention reports on the Internet. I have yet to witness one myself although it is something that I would be interested in. I am fond of the character of the token alien."

The three human members exchanged knowing smiles, and Teal'c, smiling slightly, said, changing the subject before it wandered into his preference for Star Wars, "The Leap of Faith is next."

Cam remarked as they resumed walking, their gear straightened out, "That's a conversation stopper if ever I saw one."

Teal'c retorted, deadpan as Sam and Daniel smiled at him, "You would not see a i conversation stopper /i , ColonelMitchell unless it is a particularly painful forcefield or a brick wall that you have abruptly acquainted yourself with. You would hear a 'conversation stopper' as you did just previously."

Daniel said, patting Teal'c's shoulder, "Oh, Jack's right - Teal'c rocks."

The four personnel walked through rocky caverns which alternately narrowed into torch-lit passageways, when all at once, they came across a huge, gaping chasm in the ground, a cacophany of tortured screams audible in the distance, flame visible below. Sam and Cam just about stopping Daniel from stumbling right over the edge.

Their P-90s trained on what lie below as their eyes moved over the most minute of details, Cam asked, "Leap of Faith?"

Teal'c replied, "I believe so."

Sam said, looking worried, "I think we need to find out who's screaming - Mordred did say that no-one had beaten him."

Teal'c replied, glancing at Cam, "Perhaps it is the souls of the believers of Origin."

Daniel just about stopped himself from rolling his eyes, Cam shrugging as Sam said, "Let's keep it rational... How do we get across?"

Daniel closed his eyes and stepped off the edge as his friends looked on in horror, and Sam and Cam, once again, saved him from falling into the fiery depths. Sam rebuked him, angry as not only his wife but as his CO,

"Jackson, you pull a stunt like that again and I'll zat you myself."

Her gaze softened, and she hugged him with her free arm, whispering as his arm went around her, "You're not making me a widow before we get married properly."

She regained her composure, and Cam said, inwardly realising how close they had come close to losing Daniel again, "Well, what does 'faith' mean?"

Teal'c said, his eyes still navigating through the fiery depths below, "It could mean faith in ourselves, in each other, in our cause, or perhaps in life itself."

Sam said as she looked at her friends, "Well, Artur did say that only us four could do it, and we wouldn't have got this far without each other..."

She paused and continued, "I vote it's 'each other'. What do you guys say?"

The two human men looked to Teal'c who replied, his chin levelling as he looked back at her, "I believe this to be the more likely course of action. This quest has required all four of us."

"Ok, everyone hold hands."

When Cam and Daniel looked uncomfortable at having to hold hands, she remarked, stepping between them, "Oh for cryin' out loud!"

She held their hands, and on noticing Cam looking awkwardly at a smiling Teal'c, she rolled her eyes and said, "Mitchell, Teal'c's got a girlfriend!"

The four members of SG-1, eventually holding hands, closed their eyes and Sam said, "Ok, we're a team and we have absolute faith in each other, in our abilities and our ability to eventually overcome adversity... and sometimes death."

They stepped forward as one, surprised when they didn't drop but landed on an invisible albeit moving platform which transported them as they glanced around themselves in shock. Cam asked, looking spooked,

"What the heck is this?"

Nothing more was said until they had reached the other side, stepping off, the team then hugging each other, thankful that they were alive. Composing themselves, Sam asked,

"What's next?"

Daniel replied with a frown, his arm slowly moving from her waist, "Reflections... Artur wasn't exactly explicit about that..."

Cam remarked as Teal'c's eyebrow shot up, "Yeah, try not at all..."


	59. Alternates

_Spin-off of this chapter, following the alternate team can be found in __Jackson Junior: Alternates__, or __**will**__ be found when I get around to rewriting it. Watch this space (or your inboxes if you've got me on your alert list)._

_--------------------_

SG-1 walked through winding torch-lit passageways in what appeared to be a seemingly endless network of such passageways, when suddenly they heard a voices off to their right, sounding rather familiar. As the team neared the sound cautiously, their P-90s raised, they could hear Daniel's voice explaining something, but he hadn't said anything. Cam, frowning as Sam and Teal'c curiously glanced at the Archaeologist, asked,

"Jackson, was that you?"

Daniel shook his head, and suddenly, the team was staring down the P-90 barrels of another SG-1, dressed in black instead of olive green combat gear. Sam, after glaring at her shorter haired self, aimed her firearm squarely at alt-Cam, saying,

"Identify yourselves."

As the other team practically gaped at Sam's longer hair, alt-Cam remarked belligerently, his gun still raised and aimed at her, "Ladies' first."

"Colonel Samantha Jackson, commanding officer of SG-1."

The alternate team's guns as well as jaws dropped, and alt-Daniel asked, looking rather flustered as alt-Sam looked increasingly awkward, alt-Teal'c grim, the Jaffa's hair sporting a sizeable grey streak, "Is this a joke?"

As guns were lowered all round, Daniel replied with a soft smile, "Feels like a dream sometimes but it's far from a joke."

Alt-Sam asked, trying not to be obvious in checking out Sam's long hair along with alt-Cam as Cam and Teal'c looked bemused, "What's with the hair?"

Sam replied, smiling as she glanced at Daniel, "It's my wedding present to Daniel - we're having a proper ceremony when we get home again."

As the alternate team looked shocked, alt-Sam asked, curiously peering at Sam's left hand, "How come you're not wearing your wedding ring?"

"Ah, well..."

Sam continued, pulling her St Christopher out to show alt-Sam her rings, "This one's my engagement ring, and this one's my wedding ring. I don't wear them on my finger on missions."

Alt-Daniel, shocked on recognising the necklace, asked Daniel, "You gave her Mom's St Christopher?"

Daniel, his arm around his wife's waist, replied with a proud smile, "Nothing less for my best friend, wife and mother of my children."

Sam dug into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a couple of photos and she handed them to alt-Sam, saying with a grin, glancing at Daniel and the rest of her team, "James Cameron and Cameron Janet Carter-Jackson. They turned two earlier this month."

Alt-Cam remarked as he peered over alt-Sam's shoulder at the photos in her trembling hands, alt-Teal'c and alt-Daniel peering too, "Wow, if you and Jackson got together and had a bunch of kids, they're gonna be cute and named after me."

Cam asked the alternate scientists casually, "So why haven't you two hooked up then?"

Alt-Daniel replied quietly, Daniel noticing that his eyes looked dead, "Sam's with Jack."

Everyone looked at a very awkward looking alt-Sam, and Sam exclaimed, "What?! How could you?! I really can't imagine sitting around that darn pond, talking around emotional issues and anything remotely scientific for the rest of my days... not forgetting all the hockey, beer and... well, boredom!"

Daniel, in a calming gesture, drew her closer, and he asked, "So... what are you guys doing here?"

Alt-Daniel replied, a touch shy, "Uh... well, seeing as the Ascended are meant to be above time and space, it makes sense that they would have come from a single place... and this appears to be a convergence point of the closer realities, thus explaining our lack of entropic cascade failure."

Sam grinned at her Daniel, gently caressing the back of his neck, his eyes flickering slightly as she said, "Oh, no matter the Universe, I can count on you thinking outside of the box."

Alt-Daniel and Daniel simultaneously blushed, and Sam straightened up and said as Daniel's arm dropped, sensing what was to come, "Ok folks, move out."

SG-1 and most of alt-SG-1 armed their P-90s, alt-Cam remarking, belligerent once again, "You may be the CO of your SG-1, but you're not bossing us around."

Glancing at Daniel, she retorted, an eyebrow raised, "Oh yeah? Which part of Colonel Samantha Jackson didn't you get? That's 'full' Colonel..."

Alt-SG-1 looked shocked across the board, alt-Sam asked, a hint of disappointment at her own lack of promotion, "You got promoted?"

"Yep - after a three month stint over in Atlantis covering for Shep... Ok, let's move otherwise we're going to be stuck here for the rest of the day."

When alt-Sam made to give her the photos back, Sam shook her head, smiling, "Nope - you keep them. They're souvenirs for a lack of a souvenir shop around here. We've got plenty more at home and back on the ship too."

SG-1 didn't miss, much to their amusement and admittedly pity on one level, the little awkward looks between alt-Sam and alt-Daniel, and the guarded looks between alt-Cam and alt-Teal'c. With a little smile, Sam led the combined team out, each member comparing their lives with their counterparts.

Suddenly, as alt-Teal'c was about to explain why he had a streak of grey hair, he was cut off as he and the rest of his team disappeared from view. SG-1 paused in surprise at this shocking development, Sam eventually saying with a puzzled expression, "They've probably slipped back into their own Universe."

As the men exchanged glances, Teal'c's eyebrow shooting up, Cam remarked, all four soldiers now aiming their P-90s as they cautiously scanned their surroundings, "Good - you noticed that too. It either means you're right, or we're both nuts."


	60. Field of Daniels

SG-1 emerged onto a rocky promontory, beneath which lie a huge plain of seemingly endless golden-red hued rock, a large medieval multi-candle based light fitting suspended by a chain from the vaulted ceiling, the rest of the light coming from lit torches attached to the walls around the plain and behind them on the promontory. Daniel had been in the process of explaining the likelihood of encountering any more realities when he suddenly stopped talking.

The rest of SG-1 turned to look at him but he had gone, nowhere to be found. They looked round, panicked, calling his name as they walked back into the passageway that they had just emerged from, each one of them panicked further but trying to stay cool as they could find no trace of him. Cam and Teal'c placed a hand each on Sam's shoulders in a comforting gesture, the Astrophysicist forcing her own growing panic down for the sake of the mission. Closing her eyes to fight back the tears that threatened to fall on losing Daniel once again, she said quietly with a sigh,

"We have to get him on the way back - I'm not leaving this place without him."

Teal'c replied, standing taller, "I too am of that opinion, ColonelCarter."

Cam added, making sure with his eyes that Sam was ok, "Me too... Hey, if you want me to take over for a..."

She shook her head, straightening up as she composed herself, saying as she glanced at Cam, "Thanks but no. I'm supposed to be able to cope if this sort of thing happens - that was part of the agreement that we had with the General."

Cam looked at her cautiously, saying, "If you're sure..."

She smiled at him slightly, replying as she patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sure. It's happened before anyway, and it's not going to get easier."

Teal'c replied grimly, "Indeed."

They turned around, each one steeling themselves to finish the mission, and they emerged once again on the rocky promontory. They stopped in their tracks on seeing that the plain was not empty now, but packed with... Daniels - at least a hundred or so different Daniel Jacksons with different hairstyles and variations in colour of the combat gear that the team wore. The team stared in surprise, shock and trepidation at the scene before them, and Cam, very, very angry, spun around, snapping,

"Artur, you son-of-a-bitch! Where the hell are you?!"

Artur's hologram appeared between Teal'c and Cam, and calmly said, "Patience, Percival..."

Sam asked, barely holding her self-control in place, "Where's Daniel?"

The old man's eyes met hers as he replied, his gaze softening, "My heartfelt apologies, my fair Guinevere. This is the final test before you can approach the Ark. Only two - one of each type - shall be able to open the Ark, and you are one of them. The other chosen person is Galahad. This has been known since times past. Your task now is to find him using signs only known between you. Should you choose the correct Sir Galahad, you will be permitted to reach the Ark. May good fortune rain upon you, my dear lady."

Artur disappeared once again as Teal'c looked at Sam thoughtfully, Cam uttering a long line of R-rated expletives directed at a certain figure of British folklore/history, and Sam, her heart sinking, gazed around at all of the Daniels. She glanced at the rest of her team and said,

"I better do the choosing seeing as I know Daniel better than you guys."

Teal'c allowed himself to smile a little as Cam remarked, his expression an intense determination as he squeezed her shoulder, "You're supposed to."

She looked at two of the most important men in her life for a moment, her naturally expressive eyes unable to hide all of her pain, and she nodded slightly, turning on her heel and walking down the steps that had been to their right, leading down to the plain.

As Cam and Teal'c looked on in trepidation from the promontory, Sam walked through the many, many Daniels, noting, sometimes to her amusement despite the situation, peculiar little details such as round glasses, square glasses, no glasses; and long hair, short hair, ridiculously short hair... She had taken her St Christopher from under her t-shirt, the rings visible on them, which made every single one of the Daniels gape at her and then at the necklace in shock. Oh yes, it appeared that Daniel's mother had had the same necklace in a lot more than a few other Universes.

Unable to distinguish her Daniel from the others, the number being too much for her to sort through, she returned to her friends on the promontory with a heavy heart. She looked around the Daniels and with a sigh, clutching at straws, asked,

"Ok Daniels... What does February the fourteenth mean?"

Several Daniels put their hands up, confused looks on their faces as they answered 'Valentine's Day', but a certain Daniel leapt up and down at the back, yelling, resulting in every other Daniel turning to look at him, "Cammie and James' birthday!!!"

The Daniels then turned to look at an overcome Sam who suddenly smiled and ran down the steps, around and between about fifty Daniels, launching herself into his arms as he lifted her up, spinning her around once. Cam and Teal'c, relieved, threatened the Archaeologist with a permanent maiming if he ever disappeared again, and Sam kissed him in relief, their friends turning away as they rolled their eyes, the other Daniels gaping further.

Daniel thanked his friends, and, still holding Sam, gazed down at her as she met his gaze, and said, his voice cracking with emotion, "I thought you were going to leave without me."

Cam and Teal'c looked at him meaningfully, and Sam replied, fire in her eyes, "Not on your life, Jackson. I told you I wouldn't leave you behind, and I intend to stand by that."

Cam cleared his throat as he and Teal'c turned around once more, knowing what was coming, and Sam reached up behind Daniel's head, bringing his head down for another kiss, and she whispered, her other arm around his waist as the Daniels suddenly vanished in a flash of white light, every one of them stunned beyond words at what they had just seen, "That was too close."

An incredulous looking Cam glanced at Teal'c, who said, an eyebrow raised, a smile on his face nonetheless, "I believe you are deliberately understating what has transpired, ColonelCarter."


	61. Ark of Truth

As Cam grinned, patting Teal'c on the shoulder, Daniel returned Sam's hug. A moment later, Cam exclaimed in surprise as their surroundings faded into a completely different one. Sam and Daniel parted, they, Cam and Teal'c gaping around at their surroundings - an ornate dodecagonal chamber, with twelve equally ornate boxes around the team, a huge column appearing to support the centre of the chamber. The team exchanged glances, Cam asking,

"_Arks_ of Truth?"

Teal'c replied, an eyebrow raised, "It would appear so..."

Sam said, frowning slightly, "Artur said that only me and Jackson would be able to open the Ark, so..."

She glanced at Daniel who shrugged, and the two of them went about opening the first box. To their utter surprise, their hands went straight through it. This happened each time they tried to open the next ten boxes, until they reached the final one. Cam and Teal'c stood behind them in a defensive position as Sam and Daniel looked at each other for a moment.

He nodded slightly during the eye contact before they both stooped to prise the lid open. Suddenly, they were thrown onto their backs in front of the Ark as Cam and Teal'c managed to get behind the central column, trying to reach their friends as a huge gust of wind blew, making it impossible. Daniel shielded Sam protectively as they cowered before the Ark, the other Arks' lids flipping open sequentially, a loud high-pitched whine being emitted as blinding white light shot out from each Ark. The light mingled near the top of the column, a ring of rippling white and yellow light dancing around the circumference as it moved ever higher, all four members of SG-1 looking up, shielding their eyes with their hands as they stared in shock and fascination at the show.

Suddenly, the ring exploded into huge orbs of the purest white light, rushing through the ceiling for what appeared to be an eternity, the wind still making it impossible for anyone to move much. Sam held onto Daniel tighter and he her as they stared upwards, Cam, whilst cursing his inability to get to his friends, yelled over the sounds of the wind and whine,

"Hold on!"

The light and sound seemed to go on forever, and as Daniel closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Sam's as he held onto her, protecting her, suddenly, it all stopped. They opened their eyes in surprise, staring at each other and then at their surroundings. They were back in Artur's chamber, Cam and Teal'c approaching them to check them over as Vala, Jonas and Tomin ran over to them from the other side, the ex-thief telling them excitedly that they had watched everything on a huge video screen.

The friends hugging each other in relief, Artur appeared, a smile on his careworn face. He tapped the bottom of his staff on the ground and suddenly, their surroundings changed once again, this time to the outside of cave network, the exact same spot that they had beamed down to from the Odyssey. Artur said as seven eager faces turned towards him,

"An infinite number of thanks to you, my valiant knights. You have destroyed the Ori - they have fallen. The generations to come will sing of your deeds of valour and bravery in your quest to stop the spread of false doctrines."

He knelt before an embarrassed Sam, his head bowed as he held his staff in one hand, and with his other hand, he reached for her hand, kissing it and he said, looking up at her, "And thanks to you, my fair lady. The other versions were nowhere near as successful as you and your knights. Thrice-blessed my lady Guinevere."

Daniel smiled slightly at the Odyssey allusion, and Sam, feeling awkward, helped the old man up with Jonas' help, saying, "Uh, thanks, Artur - we couldn't have done this without you either."

She kissed him on the cheek, and the old King touched his cheek in surprise, remarking with an awed smile as Daniel felt rather possessive, the Archaeologist slipping an arm around her waist, "You always had the power to half-kill me with your charms, my fair lady."

After a round of thank yous and farewells, Artur looked around at the seven people, particularly his four 'knights', and he smiled, saying, "It was a pleasure to see you once again... Sirs Percival, Galahad and Gawain, and my fair lady..."

He faded from view, leaving a stunned SG-1 and Tomin exchanging confused glances. Sam took the opportunity to turn to Daniel and say, an eyebrow raised as the rest of the team looked increasingly amused, "Jackson - I can't believe you're jealous of an old, dead King. Seriously."

Daniel promptly blushed, Cam, Jonas and Teal'c patting him on the back as Vala remarked innocently, "That's because you nearly ran off with the old man... don't try and deny it... Everyone saw it..."

Teal'c's eyebrow shot up, Tomin blinking at her as Cam took to glaring at her, Jonas looking amused as Sam shook her head slightly before activating her radio, calling into it, "Odyssey, this is Carter - seven to beam up."

Ferretti's surprised voice came back, "Carter?! Where the hell have you been?! You disappeared for twelve hours and missed so much cool stuff!"

Sam, smiling slightly, looked around at her friends and replied, "Oh, we've got a story to tell you."

"I'll say... Okie doke, we've got you. That story of yours had better be good -- _we_ saw our toilet ship implode."

Cam remarked, rubbing his hands together in suppressed glee, "I've missed the Colonel."

Teal'c added with a thoughtful expression as the others looked increasingly amused, right before they were beamed up, "I am most curious as to the construction and appearance of an Ori Burger King..."

His friends smiled at him, just as they appeared on the bridge of the Odyssey, Ferretti and the personnel looking not only relieved but also concerned at the various burns and ripped clothing of four members of the party. Sam asked, glancing around at the bridge and then the viewscreen,

"Where's Baal?"

Ferretti replied with a grin, scratching the back of his neck, "Ah yes... about that... Right before our toilet ship died, our firing and theirs weakened the snakehead's shields and he turned tail and ran. We've managed to make some crucial repairs and whatnot so we're good to fly. Hyper-drive's still cool."

As the team looked surprised and admittedly, relieved, Ferretti clapped his hands and said, slowly shepherding them from the bridge, "Now off you go - Doctor Morgan's team wants to poke you with everything under the sun. Cool briefing later."

Teal'c remarked with a wry smile as they eventually left, "The briefing will surpass the state of cool, ColonelFerretti."


	62. Connor McGill

_The Divine Secrets of the Yah Yah Sisterhood, just like Stargate (unfortunately), doesn't belong to me... : )_

--------------------

After a series of medical exams, a big briefing in which the mission was discussed in depth, Ferretti regretting not being able to witness it on more than one occasion, and a discussion of the events ship-side, the ship began its long journey back to the Milky Way, the team members each going to their quarters.

In their shared quarters, Sam and Daniel went about going to bed, getting changed as they talked. She said, her expressive eyes once more showing an inordinate amount of hurt, "We might be too late... what if the warships have reached Earth and..."

He, hurt too, replied quietly as he stood on the other side of the bed from her, "Sam, don't do this to yourself. We have to be hopeful. Earth's still going to be there, and our babies will be there to welcome us back - you'll see."

His voice wavered as he added, "They have to be. I don't think the Ori were quite expecting us to come this far - that's why only one ship came after us. Earth's fine."

She bit her lip as she gazed at him, and a moment later, he dimmed the lights, both of them laying down. He drew the blanket over them before wrapping his arms around, holding her as close as their bandaged burns would permit. He tenderly kissed her neck and whispered, injecting a little humour into the situation,

"Well, not bad for a honeymoon - we met King Arthur, defeated the Ori, and still found the time to turn the tables for us in another Universe."

She turned over, facing him as she hooked a leg over his thighs in an attempt to get closer to him, and she replied, her gaze wandering to his t-shirted chest, "I can't believe that that other me was seeing the General... It's just so wrong."

He tenderly kissed her, whispering as he cupped her jaw, "That version of us probably didn't have that unfortunate outcome to the Amazon mission, seeing as they're supposed to be close to us... But she's not you Sam. You're different... in a good way. I've watched you blossom this past year, gaining confidence and one heck of a sense of humour..."

They both smiled, and he continued, gazing at her fondly, "... They may have been the same team in the grand scheme of things, but they weren't us... We're different, apparently."

Her smile faded as she replied, her fingers drawing abstract patterns on his chest, "In all of the realities we've encountered so far, there wasn't one with us together. Not one... not even that reality where the General wasn't a part of the programme... I was married to McKay, for crying out loud."

As he raised his eyebrows, half-mirthfully, she asked, her eyes meeting his almost imploringly, "What does that tell you?"

He held her a little tighter, his breath tickling her neck as he replied between sweet kisses to her neck and shoulder, "That we're that person hanging off a cliff by one finger, that we're that one percent chance that can still happen against the odds, that still has a possibility of happening regardless but needs a little boost to get us going."

His lips curved into a smile against her neck as her hand wandered beneath his t-shirt, smoothing his toned stomach, "... There's hope for us yet, even if it looks like that we haven't a chance. There's bound to be another reality with an 'us' before the year's out."

She smiled, finding peace in what he had told her, and she whispered, her arm over his stomach, "Thanks - I needed that."

"Much obliged Colonel... now what do you say to getting some sleep before three months of being celibate really gets to us?"

She chuckled on noticing his eyebrows go up, and she snuggled up to him, closing her eyes as she remarked quietly, "Good idea - these walls aren't soundproof."

They both sighed happily and were about to sleep, his fingers gently tapping out a rhythm on her shoulder, when he asked, frowning as he remembered something, his fingers stopping, "Sam?"

She blinked her eyes open, and replied, concerned, "Daniel?"

"Who are... Connor McGill, Jack Whitman, and Vivi Abbott-Walker?"

She frowned in confusion at first before she realised the significance of the names. She laughed, much to his further confusion, and she propped herself up on an elbow next to him and asked as she gazed down at him, her fingers wandering around his chest, "Where did you hear the names?"

He frowned, wondering if he had been the victim of a very cruel Jaffa joke, and replied, "Oh, um, Teal'c mentioned it. He said, and I quote, _'DanielJackson, you have the eyes of ConnorMcGill, the tender manner of JackWhitman, and the fiery spirit of ViviAbbotWalker.'_ It was rather odd and he wouldn't explain it, and then he said to ask you about it."

She tried hard to not smile at that but failed, and he blinked, asking, "You know, don't you?"

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh, and she nodded in answer. He frowned and asked cautiously, "What is it?"

She leant down, whispering in his ear, inwardly laughing at his expression, "The Divine Secrets of the Yah-Yah Sisterhood."

His frown intensified as she raised her head to gaze down at him, amused, and he said, "I didn't think Teal'c would read that sort of thing..."

She shrugged as best she could considering her position, and replied, "Oh, this Astrophysicist you happen to know lent him her copy when our Jaffa friend was curious about the Deep South."

He raised his eyebrows briefly in surprise, and she whispered, snuggling up to him once again, "You can read it when we get home... It's a good book."

They listened to the sounds of heartbeats and breathing, soothed by the little reminders that they were both alive, and she said after a pause, her eyes closed but smiling, "Teal'c's right."

He frowned in confusion, asking, "He is?"

She nodded, smiling more as she said, her eyes still closed, "I didn't really think about it before, but Connor McGill's just like you, although he has black hair... but his eyes are blue, and darker in the morning, just like yours. Oh, and Jack Whitman... nice, nice young man with long fingers and a tender manner - that's you when you're not riled up... And Vivi Abbott-Walker - that's you all the time - your fiery spirit is a part of who you are but you hide it when you're not being pissy or getting in a slanging match with Cam or the General."

She opened her eyes and kissed him as he remarked, still confused, "Nothing you just said made any sense to me."

Still smiling at him, this time tinged with cheekiness, she retorted, "Welcome to my world."


	63. Cap'n Feretti

Several hours later, the scientists fast asleep in each other's arms, Ferretti's voice called over the ship-wide tannoy, using his preferred pirate voice, "Yaarrgh, ladies and gentleman, honeymooners, resident aliens, boys and girls, and anyone else that doesn't fit into the aforementioned categories - this is your scheduled wake-up call. The Oort-Opik cloud is in sight, and my navigational officer says that we're an hour away from good ol' Earth. This is just a little warning for our resident honeymooning couple... (cough)get some clothes on(cough). Cap'n Ferretti out."

Sam and Daniel, who had woken up during the 'yaarrgh', stretched, amused and embarrassed, the former remarking, "He knows we can't do anything - we're still on duty..."

Holding her, he replied against her neck, smiling lazily as he savoured the feel of her in his arms a little longer, "It's like having another Jack around."

She made a humming noise of pleasure as he began to kiss her neck when her sense of duty reluctantly surfaced, and she gently but firmly pushed him away, saying, "Daniel, we're still on duty."

He ran his fingers through her hair, replying with a sigh, "I know..."

She gazed at him for a moment, reaching under his t-shirt to smooth his stomach, and she said, sitting up, "Come on, let's get dressed before _Captain_ Ferretti embarrasses us again."

He nodded and was about to get up when he leant over to her, whispering something in her ear as he smiled, the tips of his ears reddening at the same rate as his cheeks. She laughed out loud, remarking in disbelief as she swatted him,

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

After a lot of laughing and talking as they changed, leaving their jackets off, they sat together at the foot of the bed, looking at the photos that they had brought along on their journey. His arm around her, he kissed her forehead and whispered,

"They'll be so much bigger now."

She leant into his embrace as tears welled in her eyes, her gaze focussed on a photo that she held of their twins. She whispered back, slowly tracing their children's faces, "They've probably forgotten us by now."

He shook his head, replying, "No, they won't. We've only been away for nearly three months."

Just then, there was a knock at the door, Cam's voice calling, "Jackson and Jackson, you guys ready?"

Sam nodded, and Daniel called back, "It's open, Mitchell."

Cam wandered in and remarked on seeing the two of them, "Thank God... the way _Cap'n_ Ferretti's going on, you'd think that you two were butt naked and screaming the ship into another Universe."

The Jacksons promptly blushed, and he sat next to them, half-amused at their embarrassment but concerned at Sam's wistfulness. He peered at the photo that she held, and he said, glancing at her,

"They're gonna be bigger."

The Jacksons nodded, Sam replying, "Yeah, and we've missed it."

Daniel tightened his hold on her and said, gazing down at her, "We would have missed a lot more if we hadn't come out here."

She leant her head on his shoulder as Cam remarked, "That's for sure... We've finally whupped those guys... Man, it feels weird."

Sam replied quietly, smiling a little, "Tell me about it. It took us eight years to defeat the Goa'uld; five years to defeat the Replicators, and now, three years to beat the Ori."

"Well, the next bad guys we get, we'll whup them in two years..."

Teal'c and Jonas soon joined them, looking at the pictures, and Sam asked, "How are you and Vala doing?"

Cam shrugged a little, replying as his gaze fell to his hands, "I don't know - I think she's gonna get with her husband again."

Teal'c and Sam held him, Jonas saying from behind, "I doubt that she's going to do that."

Sam sighed and said, "If she does, we have to support her, as her team. Ultimately, we shouldn't mind who she settles for, but this must all be so confusing and bewildering for her now."

Daniel nodded, replying, "She'll work it out. She's smarter than she lets on."

Sam hugged Cam and said quietly, "Cam, if she chooses Tomin, you're going to have to live with it. Those two have a history and now that he's not the enemy any more... I'm sorry."

He shook his head, replying, "It's ok... I understand that. I'll just give her a little space 'cos it can't be easy for her with ghosts showing up once a week."

Teal'c remarked, making each of his friends smile, "In that case, O'Neill's dream of being the proprietor of a 'Mystery Machine' will not be misguided."

A few minutes later, Sam got up, closely followed by the rest of her team as she and Daniel slipped their jackets on, and she said with a smile, her expression shifting briefly as her gaze fell on Cam, "Come on men, let's see home."

She led them out, Cam remarking, "Thank God you didn't go for an ET joke..."

Smiling innocently as Daniel, Teal'c and Jonas looked amused, she retorted, "Oh, I thought of that..."

SG-1, laughing and talking amongst themselves, emerged onto the bridge, joining Vala and Tomin as Ferretti, checking that the band was all there, got Marks to open a communications channel as all present gazed in relief at a certain blue and green orb with major whisps of white that filled their viewscreen. After taking a moment to look at their home, Marks nodded to Ferretti and the Colonel said, running his fingers through his thinning hair in relief,

"Stargate Command, this is Colonel Ferretti of the Odyssey - all personnel present and accounted for. The mission was successful..."

As SG-1 gathered near the centre of the bridge with Tomin, they heard Jack call back, sounding very relieved, "Hey Ferretti!"

"Hi General."

After a pause, Jack asked, resulting in smiles all round, Sam squeezing Daniel's hand as she gazed at him briefly, "Did Space Monkey die again?"

Ferretti grinned at an embarrassed Daniel, replying, "Nope, not even once. I think he's kicked the habit."

"Good, good... Carter's one scary woman."

Sam ducked her head briefly, and Jack continued cheerily, "Okie dokey... send 'em down. We won't jump - promise."

SG-1 and Tomin each said their farewells to Ferretti, SG-2 and the regular Odyssey crew. Ferretti asked Sam with a cheeky grin, "Hey Carter, I trust I'm invited?"

Sam rolled her eyes and replied, "Of course you are."

"Good, good - got your present all picked out."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, and Vala remarked, glancing at a bemused Tomin, "I bet it's an Ori Burger King."

Cam couldn't help but smile, Teal'c looking intrigued, and Ferretti, still grinning, shook his head slightly and retorted, "Nope, my playdough wouldn't go that far."

Teal'c replied, no-one sure if it was in mirth or not until he eventually smirked, "I will be sure to acquire a sufficient quantity of the substance for your recreational activities, ColonelFerretti."

"Teal'c, don't ever change."

Ferretti then looked around at SG-1 one more time and said, "It was great catching up with you guys... we must do it more often, _although_ the situation could be improved."

Cam remarked, smiling a little, "I'll say."

With a clap of his hands, a still grinning Ferretti said to Marks, "Marks, beam 'em home."

To SG-1, he said, "I'll see you guys at the wedding of the year."

They each smiled as they were beamed out of the ship, Ferretti remarking to his crew, "Cool, huh? Always a ride with those guys. Never regret it one bit... although I could definitely do just fine without getting shot up during our second trip to Abydos. Yeesh."


	64. Back at the SGC

SG-1 and Tomin arrived at the SGC, still smiling from Ferretti's exuberant attitude, and they were greeted by an overjoyed Jack, Landry, Hammond, Paul Davis, Woolsey and the regular gateroom personnel. Sam, fighting the urge to grin, approached the Generals and along with Cam, saluted them. The three Generals proudly returned the gesture before Jack forwent all remnants of professionalism by pulling Sam into a hug, saying with a grin,

"Good to see you home again."

Sam, feeling rather awkward at the unusual behaviour, cleared her throat and replied as she straightened up, "Uh, yeah, same here. Thanks Sir."

Jack ruffled Daniel's hair, resulting in the Archaeologist scowling, and Landry asked as he looked around the gathered team in relief and joy, "How was the mission?"

Sam replied, smiling slightly, "It was one heck of a mission, Sir..."

Resulting in raised eyebrows and impressed looks all round, Vala called out, "We met your King Arthur!"

Daniel's and Jonas' eyes immediately glazed over at the mention of the ancient King, and Jack remarked, "Arthur, King of the Britons, eh? I wish I went along."

Daniel replied, glancing at Sam and making Cam cringe at the mention of the bull, "You would have loved it, especially the huge bull that chased us... Oh, and Teal'c was making Da Vinci Code and Monty Python jokes."

Jack's eyebrows shot up as he looked towards their tall, silent friend, and he remarked, "Is that so?! Wow, I really wish I'd gone now... Come on, by the looks of things, you've got to get yourselves down to the Infirmary..."

Cam remarked politely, "We got burnt by light sabres a few times..."

Jack's eyebrows went back up again, and before Sam could say anything, her gaze shifted to the doorway just as Lam ushered the shy looking twins in. Sam and Daniel both gasped in surprise and rushed over to them, kneeling as they held them close, Sam saying,

"Oh, we've missed you so much!"

Much to their inner dismay, the twins appeared shy around them until they saw Jack, and then they grinned. As Daniel held onto Cammie, his head bowed as he closed his eyes, Sam looked at James and asked quietly as she smoothed his downy fair hair,

"Don't you recognise me?"

A moment later, his eyes lit up in recognition and he said excitedly, suddenly grinning, "Mommy!"

Fighting back her tears, she held him close as he danced in her hold, and Cammie too eventually made the same link with Daniel, who tenderly kissed her on the forehead, whispering with a smile,

"Yep, Daddy's home again, and Mommy's over there with your brother."

The scientists smiled at each other as the rest of the team gathered around them, smiling at the family moment, and, their heads almost touching, they compared each child and then swapped them. Jack, though touched at the reconnecting going on, cleared his throat and said,

"Right, everyone out - you know how Walter gets when anyone loiters..."

He added with a shrug as everyone looked at him, "... it's a technician thing..."

Sam and Daniel both stood up, still holding their children, and they led the team out on their journey to the Infirmary, various personnel coming out of their offices and labs to greet and congratulate them as the scientists carried on comparing their children in between smiling in reply at the people that lined the corridors.


	65. Helping Vala

After a series of medical exams, and an extra long briefing in which Sam surprised everyone by digging into Woolsey for the IOA's apparent lack of humanity in rigging the Odyssey, SG-1 were granted a long leave to give the scientists a chance to have a proper wedding.

Said scientists, in civilian clothes, were in Daniel's office. They stood in front of his desk, their heads almost touching as they sorted reading material for their leave, when there was a knock on the open door. They both turned to see Vala in the doorway, the ex-thief waving at them. They turned around properly, both of them perching on the edge of the desk, and Daniel said, noticing Vala's troubled expression,

"Hey Vala, what's up?"

After a little pause, Vala closed the door behind her and took the seat that was in front of them. Sam and Daniel exchanged a brief glance before kneeling down on either side of her, holding a hand each. Sam asked as Daniel smoothed the ex-thief's cheek with the back of his other hand,

"Vala? What is it?"

Vala looked down at her lap, trying to find the words to say but failing, so she said suddenly, still not looking at either of them as she shrugged, "I can't choose. I know I have to choose but I can't."

The scientists glanced at each other once again, and Daniel pulled her into a hug as she continued, sounding distraught, "If I go with Tomin, I'll hurt Cameron, but if I stay with Cameron, I'll hurt Tomin. They're both good men."

Sam said as Daniel released the ex-thief, gently caressing her hair, "We won't hold it against you, Vala. We're a team no matter what, and whichever one you choose, we'll stand by you. It won't make you any less our friend, ok?"

Vala looked at Sam, surprised at first but then recalling the spirit of SG-1 that she had come to know well, and she said, her face barely hiding her inner torment and pain, "Thank you, Samantha..."

She glanced at Daniel and continued, "You... Daniel especially have treated me as one of your own these past few years. It was the first time that I was ever truly accepted by anyone by just being myself."

Daniel replied, smiling a little, "That's because you're one of us."

Sam added, glancing at her husband, his smile reflected on her face, "And you'll always be one of us, no matter what."

Vala nodded in thought as she looked down at her lap once again, and Daniel asked quietly, "Who are you in love with?"

Vala looked up, meeting his cerulean gaze and replied, looking scared, "Cameron, but... Tomin and I have a history and he's so sweet. He's not the enemy any more and..."

Sam squeezed her hand and said, "Vala, take some time out to think about it. You need to be sure that you're making the right decision... but just remember everything that's happened these past two years."

The Astrophysicist continued with a shrug, "I'm not pushing you towards Cam because he's one of my best friends and my second-in-command... I'm just saying that you've found happiness and solidity by being here on SG-1, by being with people who care for you and are your friends."

Vala took a moment to digest what Sam had said before she offered her friends her best smile and said, "Thank you."

They both smiled as she bounded out of the room, and both of them, still kneeling gazed at each other. Sam asked him, "Who do think she'll choose?"

After a moment's thought, Daniel shrugged and replied, "I don't know, but it'll probably be Tomin, but then it could very easily be Mitchell..."

Smiling slightly, they stood, and she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as his arms encircled her waist, "I hope she sorts it out... to be honest, I hate to see Cam so down."

He kissed her neck, whispering a remark as he smiled against it, "You were trying so hard not to bat for Mitchell..."

Her hands eventually working their way under the back of his t-shirt, she replied, her eyes closed, "Come on Daniel - Tomin wouldn't believe her about Origin and slapped her across the face. If that had been me, I would have kicked his ass before he raised his hand."

She straightened up to see him smiling more, and he remarked, "Just like the Red Knight?"

"Better than that."

He, still smiling, stooped to kiss her, whispering as he held her closer, "I love you - you're insane."

She chuckled softly, remarking, "You're a fine one to talk. After everything you've seen and done..."

She sighed reflectively, and he said, gently rubbing her back in small circles, "Hey, come on, let's go see Jack and thank him."

"Ok... have you got everything?"

"Yeah, I, uh, get the feeling that I won't get through it anyway..."

She kissed him on the cheek, retorting as she smiled in amusement at his blush, "I was thinking the same thing... the twins are going to be far more mobile and vocal now, and we're going to be busy chasing after them and..."

He stared at her for a moment as she smiled up at him, feigning innocence, and he said, looking at her in bemusement, "Let's go find Jack."


	66. Light Reading

Daniel, carrying the reading material that he intended to take home, and Sam emerged from his office and nearly ran into the very same person that they had been about to look for. Jack's gaze shifted to the papers and books that the Archaeologist held, and he remarked,

"Y'know, being married an' all, I'd've thought that you two would have a whole other bunch of things you'd be more interested in doing... you do have an extra long leave now..."

The scientists promptly blushed, Daniel retorting defensively, "It's light reading, Jack."

"Whoa, if that's light reading, I really do not want to see heavy reading. Sheesh. Anywho, you guys off home?"

They nodded, and Sam pulled the General into a hug, saying, "Thank you so much for looking after the twins, Sir."

Jack smiled, remarking, "Hey, I'm Uncle Jack - you can call on me anytime. You're welcome."

She kissed him on the cheek and as Daniel hugged him with his free arm, thanking him, Jack remarked, glaring at his best friend, the Archaeologist's eyes twinkling, "You take after your wife and you're not gonna live to see your kids' next birthday."

His gaze moved downwards until he noticed something, and he asked Sam, "Carter - where's your ring? You're off-duty now."

Shamefaced, Sam glanced at a smiling Daniel as she took her St Christopher off, sliding the rings onto her finger as she said, embarrassed, "Sorry, I forgot..."

Daniel smiled at her, rubbing her lower back with his left hand as he said, shaking his head slightly, "It's ok - you were still wearing them."

Jack shrugged, saying, "I just felt like pointing that little fact out in case one of the lesser hotties on base decided to hit on either of you..."

Just then Ferretti, followed by Cam, Teal'c and Jonas, all of them in civilian clothes, appeared in the corridor behind Jack, and Ferretti asked, "You geeks still on base?"

Jack remarked, turning back to his old friend, "Take a look at the crap that Dannyboy's taking home."

As Daniel rolled his eyes at the term 'crap', Ferretti stared for a moment in disbelief and said, "All that?"

"Yup."

Ferretti blinked and remarked as Daniel rolled his eyes, "Geek."

Sam asked the three members of her team, "You guys off home?"

Cam replied, "Actually, we're off to O'Malley's with SG-2 and 3. You guys wanna come with?"

Jack remarked, resulting in some very embarrassed scientists, "Now, now Mitchell - they're technically newlyweds."

Daniel rolled his eyes, and with his arm around Sam's waist, said, "Come on Sam, let's go before Jack gets worse."

Their friends grinned at them as they passed, and Sam remarked in a stage-whisper to her husband, "He's probably compensating for something."

Jack called, "I heard that, Carter!"

She turned back before they disappeared around a corner, retorting in amusement, "Good... it means that I won't have to repeat it... Sir."

Jack shook his head in disbelief as he looked at where they had been, remarking to his friends, "Daniel's loosened her up..."

He asked Cam, "That O'Malley's thing open?"

Cam replied, "Sure, Sir."

Putting an arm around Teal'c, Jack said, "Let's roll... Ferretti, you coming?"

Ferretti replied, "Of course I am, Jack. Us singles have to go somewhere."

"You have a wife."

"No I don't. Our divorce came through last month."

"Ah, the things I miss..."


	67. Home Again

_Lyrics featured are Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water_

--------------------

Sam and Daniel, after a trip to the on-base Nursery, came home later that night, their children fast asleep in their arms. They glanced at each other, warm smiles on their faces as they began to readjust to being parents once again. Laying them down in their cribs, they stood in the doorway, his arm around her waist as she leant into his embrace, and he whispered,

"They haven't eaten - they'll wake up in a couple of hours."

She nodded, gazing at the fair heads illuminated by the light from the landing, and she whispered back, "It's not like we'll be sleeping much anyway."

He kissed her on the forehead before they quietly left, the door closing with a soft click. She glanced at him as they stood on the landing, a little smile on her face. He raised his eyebrows but smiled back and she shrugged. They stood opposite each other for a moment before simultaneously walking to the bathroom. She remarked quietly,

"Glad we're not too different after everything we've seen."

"That would have been interesting."

She chuckled softly as she closed the door behind them and wrapped her arms around his waist. His arms went around her waist as he drew her close, this time not fearing an accusation of unprofessionalism. He inhaled the fruity scent of her shampoo as she closed her eyes, taking in his familiar scent and feeling the beat of his heart. He gently nuzzled her throat and she held onto him a little tighter, her fingers finding their way beneath the back of his t-shirt, gently caressing the taut, firm expanse of skin that lay underneath, mindful of his scars that she knew the exact whereabouts of.

Suddenly, in one fluid movement, she pulled his t-shirt up and off, his glasses going with them as they flew to the other side of the room, not that either of them cared around that point. Her hands ran across his chest as she gazed at it as though she had seen it for the first time, her intimate knowledge of where not to push too hard belying that as she examined the scars and scratches that defaced his skin. He gazed down at her for a moment, no bemusement in his features as he silently understood, as it always had been with them. He softly kissed her before pulling her sweater and t-shirt off, his actions pausing as it always did at that point.

She smiled at this before helping him out, which only resulted in one slower albeit fascinated Archaeologist, and she held him close, the sensation of skin against skin feeling to the both of them like they had finally come home, and yet at the same time, sent their senses reeling. They then helped each other out of their jeans, and, the last remnants of their clothing out of their way, he kissed her and began with a small smile, his hand involuntarily reaching up to play with a breast,

"Soooo..."

Her own expression mirroring his, she replied, "Shower's good."

He remarked, reddening, "Why, Colonel, I didn't know you liked it rough."

She stared at him in disbelief, remarking, "Jackson, you got me pregnant and we've certainly done far worse before... oh, and we're standing here in the nude, and you still blush!"

He smiled at her in answer, shrugging, and reached for her hand. She took it without another word, locking the door behind her, and together they entered the shower, switching the water on. Under the warm torrent of water, they held onto each other as they kissed without hesitation, the kiss deepening as they both moaned, dormant feelings reawakening in them. She instinctively ground her hips against his, and his mirrored the contact, gradually becoming as aroused as she was.

Soon, she found herself sandwiched between the cool tiled wall and his taut, rippling body, and the movement in her hips grew as his kisses moved downwards, leaving her lips for a journey along her jaw, down her throat and chest. She whimpered as she felt her arousal growing, and she reached down a hand between them, making him jolt, his caresses becoming shaky.

She whispered in his ear, her arms around his shoulders, "Hmm, Daniel..."

Understanding what she wanted, he kissed her neck and obliged, thrusting deeply into her as she involuntarily groaned, fighting the urge to scream as she suddenly felt full. He whispered shakily as he began to move inside of her,

"I love you, my fair Guinevere."

She kissed him, whispering back before their eyes slid shut as the sensations grew in power, "I love you too, Galahad."

She clung onto him as he spared nothing in giving her everything that he felt, pent up over the past three months. She met each movement with one of her own, both of them groaning, he grunting with the exertion. Suddenly, both of their heads rolled back as they felt as though they had freefalled off Everest into a fireworks party. Exhausted, their knees weak, they collapsed, he still finding the wherewithal to reach up to switch the cooling water off, and they fell together in a heavily breathing, sticky heap. He rested his forehead against hers, both of them getting their breath back, their eyes still closed, and he whispered, his fingers lightly tracing her jaw,

"Oh, I've missed this."

She laughed softly, remarking as she opened her eyes to meet his cerulean gaze, "What, re-christening the shower?"

He held her closer, their bodies moulding against each other, and he replied in a shaky voice, "Everything."

She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of him against her, and she whispered, kissing his ear, "Me too. It's tough being on duty together."

He sighed happily, replying as he lightly traced a scar on her shoulder, "But worth it."

"Damn straight. We're like a big family out there."

Catching their breath, they sat side-by-side, their bodies touching as they gazed at each other's scars. She drew a finger along, around, across each one, as did he with hers, familiarising themselves with the latest additions to each other's territories. Taking him by surprise, she clambered onto him, kissing him as his arms went around her instinctively. He moaned as her lips moved to his neck, seeking out his sensitive area, and he whispered her name, the sound stretched out as his head rolled back against the wall in sheer pleasure.

She smiled against his shoulder before her mouth lowered dramatically, much to his initial dismay until his biological reactions took over. As she kissed and caressed him, she smoothed his stomach, calming him and he began to relax. She stopped a little too soon, and he frowned, the frown disappearing as his eyes shut instinctively as she sheathed him, the tumult of feelings overwhelming both of them. He held her around her waist, helping her with each movement as they grew closer to their climax.

With groans that took a lot of work to not turn into screams, they collapsed into a panting heap once more, holding onto each other, listening to their racing heartbeats. He leant down to kiss her, and she remarked, smiling tiredly,

"We're going to have to shower again."

He smiled, burying his nose in her soaking hair as he whispered, "I don't know, post-coital sweat kind of does it for me."

Her smile grew as she rested her head on his chest, his arms tightening their hold on her, and they stayed that way until they could muster the energy to get up to shower once again. A laughter and groan-filled shower later, they quickly made their way to their room, collapsing onto their once familiar bed. Holding her, he groaned, remarking,

"We're too old to go at it three times in the space of two hours."

She laughed and buried her face in his chest, kissing it as she retorted, "I don't think we could ever get too old for that."

He drew a blanket over them, kissing her forehead as he reached across to switch the lamp off, and she said, still smiling, "It's like coming home."

"It is... We're a family again. We've got our kids under the same roof, and we, hopefully, haven't just given them a brother or a sister."

Laughing, she playfully hit him, envisaging his cheeky face in her mind's eye, and remarked, "Daniel! You know that it's impossible! I'm too old for starters... and let's not forget my injections. It would take something for me to get knocked up after those two major factors. Ok, that didn't stop me from conceiving before, but how likely is it that we'll be getting another Hippolyta on our travels?"

He shrugged, thoughtful and replied, "In our line of work, never say never."

She smiled at this, saying, "In that case..."

Sensing what was going to happen, he groaned melodramatically, remarking with a huff, "You Air Force people are all nymphomaniacs."

"Hmm, just like this Archaeologist I'm seeing."

An eyebrow quirked upwards as he looked amused in the dark, saying, "Oh?"

She kissed his neck and chest as he reached up to switch the light on, and then he went back to lying in his half of the bed, awaiting what was to come. From the far edge of the bed, she seductively crawled towards him as his breath caught in his throat, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and throw all caution to the wind. When she was almost over him, he gasped, remarking,

"You really are going to kill me one of these days..."

She trailed kisses down his neck, chest and stomach, and she eventually retorted as he gasped, his back arching against the bed involuntarily, "You won't stay dead. If you do die though, I'm standing by my promise."

She silenced him with her lips as he lost the battle with himself, his hands compulsively touching her everywhere, and soon, they made love, strong and wild, fast and furious, hard and strong. When they collapsed for the fourth time that night, he remarked breathlessly,

"Oh God, this isn't going to get old, is it?"

She replied, smiling against his neck as she hooked a leg across his thighs, "I hope not. The day that happens is the day we're probably on the verge of being on our deathbeds."

He snickered, whispering, "We'll be putting our hips out of joint."

"Worth it though."

He buried his nose in her long hair as he whispered with a playful smile, "Oh yes, even if it hospitalises us. I'm just thankful that all these years of combat training lets me keep up with you."

She smiled at this, retorting, "What crazy jobs we have."

"All the better to..."

Just then, they both heard crying sounds through the ajar door, and they glanced at each other, smiling slightly and glad of the responsibility of being proper parents once again. She reached over him for her t-shirt as he, still lying down, pulled his boxers on, and they left the room.

With their drowsily crying children in their arms, they walked downstairs as he remarked playfully, "Told you."

She retorted with a grin, "I knew it was going to happen."

With Cammie on his hip, her head resting on his shoulder as she whimpered, Daniel fixed some oatmeal as Sam held an equally sleepy James in her arms as she stood in the doorway from the lounge to the kitchen. She said as she gazed down at the little boy in her hold, her lips gently grazing his forehead as he rested his head against her shoulder, whimpering,

"I've missed doing this."

Daniel smiled at her from the cooker, replying, "Me too."

He gazed down at his daughter, remarking, "If only we could eat like these two at this time of night..."

Sam snickered softly from the doorway, and he doled out the oatmeal in bowls, turning off the gas as he waited for the cereal to cool sufficiently. She entered the kitchen, taking a seat at the same time that he did, and they smoothed their children's hair as they gazed at each other. She remarked in an awed voice, smiling,

"Parenthood - the next big mission."

His lips curved into a smile as he gazed down at Cammie and then James, and he replied, "Yep. Twelve years of going through the 'gate, and now a lifetime of these two..."

She asked him, suddenly looking worried as well as thoughtful, "Do you want me to resign?"

He shook his head, replying emphatically, "Of course not - I would never ask that of you. You've got a good career, especially now. The next time you get promoted, you're going to be a Brigadier-General, and there aren't many female Generals. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen one. I'll resign and..."

She said suddenly, and then when James whimpered louder, she hushed him, before saying in a quieter voice, "Daniel, no way - no freaking way... I won't let you. SG-1 is nothing without you. We were wandering around lost the year you were gone."

He shook his head again, about to speak, when she cut in, "No... Jackson, I mean it. You're not resigning. And besides, we've still got to tidy up. There's the Free Jaffa to help - they want to rebuild Dakara... and let's not forget the Lucian Alliance... and let's not forget the goings-on in the Pegasus galaxy. We've still got a lot of work... After it's done, I'm still not letting you resign. You are way too valuable to the programme. You're what stops it from being overly-militarised and detached."

He frowned, about to say something again when she interrupted him once again, saying, "No buts. I'm not arguing with you."

He rolled his eyes, saying, "Sam... just because you're my commanding officer now doesn't mean that you can dictate the way my life's going."

She raised an eyebrow at the little outburst before she glanced down at James, and said with a sigh, "Daniel, it's not as your commanding officer. It's as your wife and the mother of your children... uh, well, one of your children."

He shook his head slightly, saying in a dangerously calm voice, "Sam, don't..."

She sighed and said with a shrug, "Fine, if you're going to be so darned stubborn..."

His eyes widened when he realised what was coming and he made to object but she got there first, continuing, "I'll resign. I don't care about my career. I've had more years of adventures than I ever thought I would have. I'm going to do it."

He closed his eyes and said, "Sam..."

"I mean it."

They gazed at each other, and she said quietly, gazing once more down at the child in her lap, "We'll talk later. These two are going to fully wake up and start trashing the kitchen if they don't get fed."

He reached back to the counter to get the two bowls of oatmeal, handing one to Sam, and they fed their children, the whimpers growing few and far between until the children were asleep once again. Swapping babies and holding them close, Sam and Daniel gazed at each other over the heads of their children, worry about their future in their eyes. He leant over to kiss her tenderly as they walked to the stairs, and he whispered,

"I'm sorry for snapping at you Sam. It's just that I don't want you resigning. You're finally getting proper recognition of your combat skills and field experience. If you take a break, who knows what's going to happen? The last time you did, Mitchell got your command."

Nothing more was said until they reached the Nursery, where they sang together, lulling the twins back to sleep as they began to cry,

_"... When you're down and out,__  
__When you're on the street,__  
__When evening falls so fast,__  
__I will comfort you,__  
__I'm on your side,__  
__Oh, when times are tough,__  
__And pain is all around _

_Like a bridge over troubled water,  
I will lay me down..."_

After taking a moment to gaze down at their children, Sam and Daniel returned to their room, stripping off their clothes again as they got under the covers, holding onto each other. She turned to him as she said, worried,

"We argued..."

He nodded, meeting her gaze as he tenderly caressed her jaw, replying, "We need to work it out, but let's leave it for now. We've still got the wedding to come."

She sighed and said, her fingers wandering his bare chest, "We could go part-time. It's only tidying up left. Atlantis has the big enemy now."

He kissed her neck, remarking with a little smile, "Ah, like we did before. Job sharing. I'm going to miss you."

"Me too but it's the only way without resigning out and out. I get the feeling that even if we did unanimously decide to quit, General O'Neill would be on our asses."

He pursed his lips as he remembered the aftermath of Sha're's death, and he nodded, looking distant. Noticing this, she snuggled up to him, smoothing his stomach as she whispered,

"We'll be fine, Daniel."

Kissing her and smiling once again, he replied, "I hope so, although going to bed at different times is going to be tough... not forgetting sleeping off-world without you."

"Same here."

They kissed once again, her leg hooked across his thighs again as the kiss deepened, both of them moaning at the sensations growing within them. Breathless, they parted, and she remarked, grinning as she leaned over him,

"That was some kiss goodnight."

He caressed her cheek with his fingers, retorting with a small smile, "Definitely not doing that again tonight unless we want to be dead on our feet tomorrow."

She kissed him quickly on the lips, whispering, her smile not fading yet, "I love you, Galahad."

His smile grew as he replied, his arm slipping around her waist as she settled down beside him, "I love you too, my fair Guinevere."


	68. Eye Pokes of Colorado Springs

The next morning, Daniel groaned as he felt small fingers poking him in the eyes. He groaned further, saying drowsily,

"Daddy doesn't want to be tortured... he's already had a lot of it over the years..."

His eyes still closed, he felt fingers prodding his eyes once again, and then Cammie whispering breathlessly, "Daddy, wake up."

She then said, "James, Daddy's sleepy."

He groaned in protest as he felt a second set of fingers poking him, and then he heard Sam's voice, which stopped it, "Cammie, James, stop it. Leave Daddy alone."

Now that was too much to miss, the sight of his wife from his reclining position. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the object of his thoughts sat on her side of the bed with the twins in her lap. He smiled drowsily from his position as she smiled down at him, and he said, his voice more throaty than usual,

"'morning Guinevere."

She lay down next to him, meeting his lips with her own as she whispered, "'morning Galahad."

She sat up, stopping the twins from scrambling over her, and he sat up too, leaning his head on her shoulder as he remarked, making sure the sheets were covering his lower half before pulling a jabbering Cammie into his lap, "We've got to do something about that wake-up call..."

She smiled, replying, "Well, they're not used to us being home, and... they have the General's habit of picking on you..."

He groaned as James inexplicably poked him in the arm, Cammie prodding his chest, and then his tiredness caught up with him. Smiling slightly, Sam lifted the twins off the bed before easing the Archaeologist back into a laying position. He stirred, murmuring, his eyes flickering open,

"Sorry."

"Hey, no, get some sleep..."

She added with a knowing smile, "You need it."

He smiled back up at her before his tiredness overwhelmed him completely and his eyes closed. Holding a previously clambering James to her hip, she climbed off the bed, stopping Cammie from poking Daniel, the Astrophysicist realising, much to her amusement, that he was still naked from the night before. She planted a kiss on his forehead and picked Cammie up with her other arm, taking the twins to the bathroom.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Giving James and Cammie their breakfast, Sam stood in surprise and puzzlement as the little boy didn't pour his food over his head, both twins not making much of a mess. She relaxed into a familiar embrace as she felt Daniel behind her, whispering against her neck,

"Sorry for not helping you with the twins..."

She shook her head, and said, pointing to the twins, "It's fine. Look..."

He, frowning slightly, looked over her shoulder and she felt him freeze as he noticed what she had noticed. He relaxed once again, remarking as he kissed her neck, "As much as I complain about Jack to his face, he's a good father."

Before she could reply, the twins, having finished their breakfast, toddled off to the sink, dropping their dishes in before washing their hands and drying them. Sam and Daniel both watched the twins walk into the lounge to pull out their toys, and she asked, stunned as she turned around in his embrace,

"Thank you card?"

"Oh, definitely..."

After a pause, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

She shook her head, handing him a plate of toast and scrambled egg, placing her own plate before her, and they proceeded to eat. She asked, savouring her forkful,

"Do you think Charlie would have been like the General?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, his smile distant, "I think so. Both him and Sara were tough cookies... well, we met Sara twelve years ago. She's like a female version of Jack."

She smiled at the memory, replying, "Yeah... What about mini-Jack? Do you think the General was like him at that age?"

"Well, if he was, his parents probably had an IV drip of aspirin."

"Tell me about it."


	69. Colours

The twins playing in the doorway between the kitchen and the lounge with their toy bricks, Daniel sat at the kitchen table, exercising his linguistic abilities with a few non-classified translations and Sam walked around the kitchen, talking on the phone,

"... Oh, come on, I'm dying here... Who is he?... uh huh... uh huh... Cassandra Frasier, if being elusive was an Olympic sport you'd win gold for Canada... Fine, whoever he is, you better bring him as your date - make it a wedding present if you must..."

Daniel smiled as he mentally conjugated the verb 'to bear' in seven languages concurrently, and he said, distracted, still writing, "Tell her we'll give her the little plastic couple on the cake."

Sam laughed, flashing him an amused grin before saying into the phone, "Did you hear that? Yep, plastic couple off the cake if you bring him along..."

A look of mischief on her face, she added, "I'll bet he's cute."

This had the desired effect of the head of a certain Archaeologist shooting up, his eyebrows following suit. She continued, trying hard not to laugh,

"And I better go in case Daniel's eyebrows have telekinetic powers. Ok honey, see you soon. Take care of yourself. Bye..."

She pushed a button to disconnect and placed the handset on the table, still smiling. Watching him work for a moment, she walked up behind him, slipping her arms around his shoulders as she leant down over him. When he carefully put his pen down, she kissed his neck, whispering,

"Plastic couple?"

He leant back in her embrace, replying as he mirthfully met her gaze, "Oh yeah, she always liked little toys - I'm betting that UCLA hasn't changed her that much... so, boyfriend?"

Her lips skimmed the sensitive spot on his neck as she replied, his eyes closing as his breathing altered, "Oh yeah. He's in most of her classes, but she won't tell me anything more than that. We'll hopefully see him though. He does sound cute."

She smiled as he frowned, and she continued in a husky voice, her fingers working their way under his t-shirt from his collar down, "But nowhere near as much as this Archaeologist I'm seeing."

His cheeks reddened slightly as he retorted, his eyes still closed as he savoured her touch, "Hmm, well, my Astrophysicist is absolutely nuts, but I'm crazy about her."

"Wow, we have a lot in common."

She smiled when he looked at her, an eyebrow shooting up, and she eyed his lips, taking the opportunity to kiss him, her hands still working their way under his t-shirt. He moaned quietly as he held onto her before whispering, his voice a little deeper than usual,

"Sam... we're going to have to stop before we warp the kids..."

She kissed him again, this time the contact a quicker affair, and she removed her hands from under his t-shirt, taking a seat next to him, their knees touching as she said, embarrassed, "One problem with kissing you is that I keep forgetting where we are."

He smiled at her in amusement, remarking as he placed a hand over hers, "That would be funny... we'd get into trouble on base if General Landry caught us in the makeout closet on level 24."

She laughed out loud, asking in disbelief as he promptly reddened, "How do you even know that such a place exists!?"

He shrugged, replying as he hitched his glasses up, his eyes twinkling, "I, uh, heard from Colonel Dixon that Captain Simmons and Captain Richards of SG-4 were found in there last week. It's the first I heard about it, although if I'd known..."

She continued laughing, amused at his flirtatiousness, when she frowned suddenly, realising how his voice had taken on an odd tone on mentioning the recently promoted Captain Simmons. He ducked his head, realising what had incurred the scrutiny, and suddenly she realised. She remarked, blinking in disbelief,

"Ok, Artur I understand what with him and the real Guinevere being married, but Simmons? The guy's like half my age... ok, well, over two thirds... but still... If he tried anything, I would kick his ass all the way from here to Orilla."

He raised his eyebrows briefly as he imagined the distance, and she continued, grinning, "And that's if a certain 180 lb , formerly ascended Archaeologist didn't get there first."

He blushed, picking up his pen once again, and she asked, inwardly envious that her work was too classified to bring home, "So... oh, what did the General say?"

He frowned in confusion and asked, "Which one?"

"The funny one."

"Ah..."

He frowned again and said, "Honey, I don't think he'll mind if you call him 'Jack' in a social setting. Kawalsky did, and Ferretti still does."

She shrugged, her gaze downcast as she said, "Force of habit... Dad always encouraged it."

Surprised, he asked, "He did?"

She nodded, and he, realising what she was thinking about, tenderly placed a hand over hers in comfort, and said quietly, "It wasn't his fault."

She nodded again, replying quietly as tears pricked her eyes, "I know. I worked that out a long time ago. He couldn't have known what would happen if he was late picking her up..."

He reached for both of her hands and said softly, "Sam, you can't live on what ifs and maybes."

She took a deep breath to calm herself, to stop herself from wandering down memory lane as she looked down at their hands. He released one of her hands, bringing it up to caress her cheek as he said, remembering the lost loves in his life,

"You just have to keep on living for the present, and remember the good times."

Her face crumpled as an image danced across her mind's eye of her mother baking cookies, then one of her mother despairing at her lack of girliness, and another of her mother reading her a bedtime story. He gently moved his chair back and pulled her into his arms, seating her across his lap. He tenderly dried her eyes, planting a kiss on her forehead before holding her close to him.

She stared at his chest, her head resting against his shoulder as she rested a hand on his chest, and she whispered, "You would have loved Mom."

He gazed at her, smiling slightly as he whispered, "I love her already."

Giving her a moment to collect herself, he asked, "Are you ok?"

She nodded and kissed him, replying as she hugged him before getting up, "Thanks."

She returned to her seat as he tenderly gazed at her, worried, and she said, reaching for his hand, "Sorry for going crazy on you."

He turned his hand over, his long fingers wrapping around her hand as he said, "Don't apologise - we're supposed to be able to share stuff like this, and I really would like to have seen Dad when Mom was around."

She smiled at his adoption of her parents, and she said, her expression growing serious, "He was different from the man that you met."

Wanting a change of subject, the thunderclouds disappeared as she asked, "So... what did the General want?"

Momentarily floored by the sudden change of subject, he exhaled and replied, "Oh, he's going to Chicago to see Sara and he doesn't know whether he'll be able to phone in tonight. Apparently Mike's been at his special brand of DIY again..."

Amused as she thought of Daniel and Jack's mutual need to check on how the other wass doing every night, as well as the humorous history of Sara's Dad's DIY mishaps, she remarked, "I'll be surprised if that man didn't turn out to be a rejected auditioner for MacGyver."

He gently squeezed her hand, quietly snickering when Sam felt James' hands on her knees, the little boy angling to be picked up. She let go of a smiling Daniel's hand, picking up James as she grinned as the boy showed her a coloured brick. She held it in her palm as Daniel tried hard not to laugh, lifting Cammie onto his lap, and she asked, kissing him on the cheek,

"What colour is this?"

James appeared to be thoughtful for a moment, and then he said, offering her his best angelic smile, "Yellow."

Sam tried to hide her amusement at this, and then Cammie, sounding annoyed, called, "No James, red."

Sam couldn't help but laugh, and Daniel lifted his pen, saying to Cammie as his nose came to rest near her ear, "Now, I know you're not obsessed with yellow like your brother is. What colour is the pen?"

As James called out his favourite colour, Cammie replied, "Blue."

Daniel smiled smugly at an amused Sam, remarking, "See, the kid I fathered knows her colours."

Fighting the urge to poke her tongue out, mindful of their company, she raised an eyebrow, retorting, "Well, the kid I fathered has a sense of humour."

They chuckled, and then proceeded to help their son breaking his yellow cycle, Cammie getting stroppy each time 'yellow' was misused, much to the adults' amusement.


	70. Dakara

SG-1 were on Dakara, Jaffa construction workers working on rebuilding what was once and what hopefully will be once again, the capital of the Free Jaffa nation, an everlasting monument of the Jaffa's struggle and triumph over two sets of false gods. Sam, Daniel at her side as the chief negotiator in the rebuilding process, said to Bra'tac, who was showing them around the site,

"... as one of our allies, we could offer you help..."

Bra'tac looked intrigued as he asked, "What kind of help, ColonelJackson?"

She glanced at Daniel, who picked up the thread, saying to the Jaffa master as he hitched his glasses up, "Well, medical, engineering and technological. Our, uh, political leaders are willing to help you rebuild as the Free Jaffa have proved to be one of Earth's most valuable allies in the fight with the Goa'uld."

Bra'tac, glancing at a stoic Teal'c, replied with a growing smile as he returned his gaze to Sam, "That would be most welcome, and you and your comrades shall be honoured for emerging victorious in three galactic scourges that you had started out as under equipped for."

Sam smiled, raising her eyebrows briefly, and Vala remarked quietly to Cam, intrigued at the promise of being honoured, "_Galactic scourges?_"

He murmured, his eyes instinctively scanning their surroundings, "I'm just glad he didn't say _woefully under equipped..._ - I was kinda expecting that."

Vala smiled slightly as SG-1 began to move again, Bra'tac showing them something else, and Jonas remarked, having heard the hushed conversation, "From what I heard, he called most of SG-1 'hasshaks' when he first met them."

Cam frowned, unsure of what the Jaffa word meant, and he was about to ask when Vala, surprised, said quietly, "Why would he have called them weaklings?"

Cam asked, "Is that what hassack means?"

Vala and Jonas exchanged a mirthful glance, the former rolling her eyes as she said, correcting her boyfriend, "_Hasshak_, and yes."

Cam was about to say something when they along with the rest of the team noticed a kerfuffle amongst the Jaffa construction workers to their right. SG-1 unconsciously mobilised themselves as they approached cautiously, their P-90s raised. Sam glanced over at Bra'tac who asked one of the workers,

"Lo'rak, what has transpired?"

A pale-skinned Jaffa, Baal's symbol etched in black upon his forehead, looked up and replied, looking shocked, "Master, we disassembled one of the walls when we discovered something that you may find of interest."

SG-1 approached, cautiously stepping closer, and they, all except Teal'c, simultaneously gasped in shock on seeing a familiar dark-haired woman, wearing nothing but a large sheet that the Jaffa had wrapped her in. SG-1 immediately re-armed their P-90s, aiming them straight at her as she looked up at them from her reclining position, confused. Sam glanced at the surrounding Jaffa and said as Bra'tac swung his staff weapon, arming and aiming it at the reclining figure,

"You guys might want to move away..."

The Jaffa did as they were told, stepping to a distance from which they could witness proceedings and which they deemed to be safe. Vala, her maternal instinct overwhelming her professionalism, stepped closer and said, her voice wavering,

"Adria?"

Adria's keen eyes homed in on the ex-thief, and she asked, sounding confused, "Who are you, and why do I not remember anything?"

SG-1 exchanged puzzled glances, and Vala kneeled down next to her daughter, gently moving a dark wisp of hair from her forehead as Jonas placed a hand on her shoulder. Bra'tac asked no-one in particular, his staff weapon still levelled at the Orici,

"What is the meaning of this?"

Sam glanced at Cam, who said, "We're as stumped as you are, buddy."

Daniel said, his voice quiet but with an undertone of molten lava, "It looks like she's lost her memory."

Teal'c added, "She does not appear to know who she is."

Sam glanced at Daniel, a flitting memory of Vis Uban running through her mind before she asked, her P-90 still up, "What if she's descended?"

Cam shrugged, remarking, "Well, that means we've got a little time before she remembers who she is and kicks our asses from here to Vagonbrei."

"We could take her to the Odyssey and get Doctor Lam to examine her. The IOA would have our eye teeth if we brought her to Earth, regardless of whether anything happens or not. We've got the Anti-Prior device."

Cam sighed, saying with a shrug, "It's your call, Colonel."

Sam looked to Teal'c, who said, his chin levelling, "I believe that to be the correct course of action, ColonelCarter. If she were to remain here, Illac Renin may request her."

Cam placed a hand on Vala's other shoulder, gazing down at the confused looking Orici, and Daniel replied, "That would be dangerous..."

Sam said, her P-90 lowering gradually, "We need to verify whether she really is Adria first. For all we know, this could be an old Asgard experiment."


	71. Examination

Aboard the Odyssey, Sam and Carolyn, in surgical scrubs, examined an unconscious Adria in a makeshift operating theatre as the rest of SG-1 watched through the observation window, every one of them worried. As the SGC's Chief Medical Officer finished up after several hours of tests involving a wide spectrum of medical paraphernalia, including monitors, devices and good old-fashioned needles, Sam slipped out after washing her hands, removing her headgear. She ran her fingers through her hair in order to smooth it, and she said,

"She appears to be Adria. We'll have to wait for the test results though before phoning home."

The male team-members all looked towards Vala in concern, and the dark-haired woman simply nodded, looking distraught nonetheless. Sam, sensing the woman's inner battle between her maternal instinct and her off-world professionalism, looked at Cam and said, gesturing to the operating theatre behind her with a movement of her head,

"Mitchell, take Vala in - Doctor Lam should be done."

--------------------

A couple of hours later, after transmitting and receiving the test results from Earth, Carolyn briefed SG-1, "She shares Vala's genetic material..."

Vala asked, very, very worried, "She's a clone?"

Carolyn shook her head, replying, "No, your daughter, but both sets of chromosomes belong to you. It's rather strange."

As Sam raised her eyebrows briefly, glancing at Daniel and Jonas, Teal'c's eyebrow shot up, Cam remarked, "We eat strange for breakfast, Doc."

Carolyn continued after a small smile, "She's Vala's daughter. There is absolutely no Ori DNA present. My team at the SGC has compared the DNA sample taken earlier today to that taken by Colonel Jackson when Adria was possessed by Baal's symbiote..."

Daniel winced at the memory of being choked by coolant as Sam, Cam and Teal'c briefly remembered their frustration at not being able to open the door to the on-ship Infirmary at that time.

"... She's physically around twenty-five, but mentally, from what the Colonel and I witnessed prior to the examination, she appears to have a mental age of around three, which is in line with her real age, and her memory appears to be completely gone. Doctor Frasier's case notes with regard to Doctor Jackson's memory loss following his descension mentioned that he was on Vis Uban for two months without his memory, and it was only after returning to the SGC, that his memories returned gradually..."

The rest of SG-1 looked at an embarrassed Daniel, Sam gently squeezing his hand as she remembered his haunted look when they had found him.

"... Because of the absence of Ori DNA, it is my opinion that she is safe for transit to Earth, but obviously, we will have to wait for Mr Woolsey to come aboard to discern that seeing as we're apparently far too inept to do that for ourselves."

All but Vala smiled at the remark, and Sam sighed and said, "It's just so that if anything does happen, the SGC won't be blamed... much."

Daniel remarked as he put a comforting arm around Vala, who leant into his embrace, "We'll get blamed even if the poor girl sneezes."


	72. Hold Down the Fort!

Sam and Cam leaned against a wall, their heads close together as they looked through an open doorway to a cell, watching Daniel and Vala with Adria, the Orici strapped upright to a chair for safety's sake as Vala talked to her. Glancing at him, Sam said quietly,

"Hey, if Vala doesn't want children after this, you can't push her."

He nodded, his eyes fixed on his troubled girlfriend talking quietly to her daughter, and he replied, "I know, Sam. I was already worried about what effect Adria had on her, and I thought she was healing but... this is a little out of left field."

"You could always adopt."

He glanced at her, asking in her surprise, "You guys thought about it?"

She nodded, not looking at him as she replied, "Yeah, I'm getting a little old for giving Cammie and James a brother or a sister, so we're planning on adopting as soon as we're settled down."

Intrigued at the insight into what she and Daniel talked about, he asked, "Off-world or...?"

She shrugged and replied, "Either, but there are a lot of kids on Earth who need a family, and I imagine Daniel's going to want to go down that alley. It'll be cool too seeing as he can speak almost any language."

He smiled briefly, remarking, "You better not piss anyone off - he could teach the kid curses in thirty languages."

Smiling too, she replied, "Ah, I don't know about thirty... his alien seven are classified."

"Well, twenty-three then."

"Oh yes."

Their attention was drawn to a set off advancing footsteps over to their left, and they peered in that direction to see Woolsey being escorted towards them by a grim looking Teal'c. When they were close enough, Sam nodded at Teal'c who nodded back, and she said to a characteristically stiff Woolsey,

"Mr Woolsey."

With the briefest of handshakes, he replied quickly as Teal'c, his eyebrow raised, left to go to the bridge, "Colonel Jackson."

As Cam fought the urge to roll his eyes at the IOA representative's presence, Sam gestured towards the room in which Adria was being held, and without another word, the man walked into the room, warily eyeing the active Anti-Prior device across from where the Orici sat. After Vala had said farewell to her daughter, Daniel gently escorted her from the room, raising his eyebrows briefly at Sam as they emerged into the corridor.

She asked Vala, "How are you feeling?"

Vala replied, forcing herself to take a deep breath to quell her growing panic at being separated from her daughter, "I'm fine... or rather, I will be."

Sam turned to Daniel, and said, "Jackson, you and Vala head on down to the Mess - Quinn's there and I'm sure he's getting lonely and annoying Ferretti in the process."

Daniel nodded, hiding his amusement with a frown as he imagined Jonas finding even the most 'normal' things fascinating, and he left with Vala. The two Air Force officers watched what was to them the silent proceedings in the cell, and she said with a sigh,

"I don't know how Vala keeps herself together like that - if it was me and that was Cammie strapped to that chair, I'd be a blubbering wreck."

"We all have different ways of coping with stuff like this. Teal'c would stomp around and everyone would be wise to keep fifty metres between him and themselves. Jackson would just shut down and hide; Quinn would just be reflective; I'd try to do something, and you... well, you'd do all you could to fix it. I think it's what comes with us being in the military - a 'can do' attitude and trying to be detached."

She smiled slightly and said with a shrug, "Maybe, but I've hated that detachment at times... well, a lot of the time. One of the things I like about Daniel is that he active fought against being militarised - he disagreed with the then Colonel at every opportunity. He helped me a lot when we first met Cassie."

He nodded and replied, "Ah, yeah, Teal'c mentioned that."

Surprised, she asked, "He did? He's not human."

"I guess he understood. That guy's smarter than he lets on, like a certain General we all know."

"Huh, yeah, although he makes Teal'c look chatty when it comes to emotions."

--------------------

An hour later, Woolsey emerged from the cell and brusquely said to Sam, "Colonel Jackson, I must return to Earth to report to my superiors regarding the prisoner. However, I request your presence at a briefing with your superiors at the SGC."

She asked with a raised eyebrow, "Now?"

"Yes, please, Colonel."

She pursed her lips before glancing at Cam and saying as she straightened up, "Mitchell, hold down the fort."

Cam snapped out a cocky salute, replying with a small smile, "Sure thing, Colonel."

She looked at Woolsey and said, walking down the corridor, "Let's roll."


	73. Mercedes Guy

Back at the SGC, Woolsey briefed Jack and Landry on his observations as well as his superiors' conclusions as Sam sat there, looking more and more incredulous. Woolsey said,

"The prisoner appears to be Adria, but Doctor Lam and yourself confirmed that the Ori DNA has been wiped. She has the mental age of a toddler and..."

Sam said in a dangerously low voice, mindful of her superiors' presence, "If we want to hear Doctor Lam's medical reports again, we'll get the good Doctor."

Jack glanced at Sam in surprise and then smiled smugly at Woolsey, who said, "It is my opinion, and that of my superiors that we cannot be sure of her identity or whether she is a Trojan Horse of some kind. The fact that you brought her within the vicinity of this planet is a flagrant disregard for the billions of lives that you have sworn to protect."

Jack remarked with a dismissive gesture, "Play nice, Woolly-boy - I trust Carter and she hasn't sold us short yet."

"Well, trust may be all you have left if Adria is still the Orici."

"You're just a brimming bag of sunshine today, aren't you?"

Landry asked, barely hiding his amusement at Jack's characteristic disregard for official protocol, "What have you decided?"

Woolsey replied, "_My superiors_ have decided that Adria can come to Earth, but she is to be under lock and key for the duration of her stay, and that a series of verifiable tests is to be conducted on her to ascertain what she truly is and any possible changes in her physiology as a result of the changes made by the Ori DNA. I do not believe that rudimentary tests aboard a ship will suffice. After that, she will be beamed into a stasis pod."

Sam said, her voice cold, "So we're going to make a lab rat out of her because she was once the enemy? She's a human being - doesn't the Geneva Convention cover her as a prisoner of war?"

"The Geneva Convention does not cover extraterrestrial hostiles, Colonel Jackson."

She just about stopped her fist from hitting the table as she snapped, "Show me where it says 'no aliens'! The Geneva Convention is supposed to be a guarantee that prisoners of war will be treated humanely and with dignity. For crying out loud, despite her physical appearance, she's just a little girl and you're going to have her subjected to intrusive tests just to satisfy your demands!"

The Generals looked stunned, both of them looking to Woolsey for his reply. The now flustered IOA representative said, straightening his glasses, "Colonel Jackson, I do believe that your judgement has been clouded by personal feelings..."

Jack winced, knowing what was to come. Sam tensed up and remarked icily, "So displaying humanity is a weakness now? She has rights, Mr Woolsey, whether you like it or not."

Woolsey made to object, when she turned to Jack and said, "General, permission to get Jackson from the Odyssey to straighten this guy out."

Jack, barely hiding his amusement, said, "Granted, Carter..."

--------------------

After Daniel had been called up from the Odyssey, the Archaeologist listened to Woolsey's arguments with a sceptical expression as Sam, Jack and Landry watched, waiting for Daniel's time to shine. When Woolsey had finished talking, Daniel said calmly at first,

"We witnessed her ascend nearly three years ago. Her appearance at a time like this suggests that the Ancients may in fact have overcome and descended her. The regular practice is to completely wipe the memories of Ascended beings who violate their rules. I only got mine back because Oma Desala made the loss temporary. Doctor Lam and the Colonel's tests show that Adria has no memory. The only reason she is as physically developed as she is, is because of genetic engineering by the Ori. The Ori DNA has gone, and as a result, she has a mental age as befits her real age.

"As for locking her up like a lab rat, I'm sure the Colonel's already told you that Adria has rights as a prisoner of war, which she does. Since when do we experiment on prisoners of war? Earth is distinguished within the galaxy as a place where a prisoner of war's safety is, on the whole, guaranteed as well as his or her rights. She isn't in a position to object to your tests, and you would be taking advantage of her vulnerability, and for what? So she can be imprisoned until the end of her days in a medical facility where she is experimented on?"

Sam, smiled a little at him, placing her hand on his knee, unseen, under the table. He glanced at her, still riled up and he placed his hand over hers before they both looked to Woolsey for his reply. The IOA representative looked flabbergasted, and when he eventually found the wherewithal to speak, he asked,

"Well, what would you have us do with her, Doctor Jackson? She has nowhere else to go, and she resembles Earth's biggest enemy. If her memory returns, she will kill you and SG-1 first."

"It won't. The Ancients have strict rules about non-interference, and she, as the leader of the Ori forces, broke those rules. The fact that she was found, sans memory and clothes, in a symbolic place such as Dakara could suggest that the Ancients are finally helping us."

"You didn't answer my question."

Daniel glanced at Sam and Jack before saying with a shrug, "Well, ok... Mitchell and Vala will adopt her seeing as Vala is Adria's mother."

Landry raised his eyebrows but said nothing, and Jack asked, looking thoughtful, "You sure about that?"

Daniel nodded and replied, "Vala mentioned it on the ship, and seeing as her and Mitchell are serious..."

Jack nodded and looked to Woolsey, who said, "I will have to contact my superiors."

Jack remarked, "You do that, and while you're at it, look up the number for an employment agency."

Surprised, Sam said, "Sir?"

Jack shrugged and said as Woolsey nervously eyed him, "Ah, I just remembered Hank telling me about that Mercedes guy..."

Daniel corrected him, "Merek."

"Whatever."


	74. Too Hot to Sleep

Later that night, back at the Carter-Jackson residence, Sam sat on Daniel's stomach, her legs straddling him as he rested his head on his interlocked fingers, gazing up at her. She smiled as she looked down at him, saying,

"Thanks for standing in her corner. If Woolsey had had his way, she would have been beamed straight into a stasis pod and they'll have the NID experimenting on her. As it is, the present situation isn't exactly preferred but it's the best of a bad dozen."

"Well, you're quite an influential person now being head of SG-1. Thanks for getting me from the ship."

She replied, shy and embarrassed, "I'm still me."

He smiled up at her, saying, "And I hope you never change, Colonel."

She reached down to caress his jaw, and she said, looking worried as well as thoughtful, "I wonder how Cam's going to deal with living with an intergalactic murderer."

He sighed and replied, growing pensive, "We had this with Linnea/Ke'ra. Ke'ra was a totally different person without her memories - she was a genuinely good person. Her memories defined who she was, and her lack of them freed her from her past. If Mitchell can differentiate in his head between Adria the Orici, and Adria the little girl, he's going to be fine."

They gazed at each other for a moment, and she said, her shoulders slumped, "I was thinking all the time while I was with Cam that I wouldn't have held it together as good as Vala's doing if that was Cammie in Adria's place. I suppose this is one of those maternal solidarity things."

He reached up a hand to caress her waist as he said, his voice low, "Sam, I don't think she's coping well. She's used to faking it while being on the run, but she is far from holding it together. She's having conflicting feelings - one way, it's her daughter; another way, she think she's supposed to hate her because she's on SG-1, and then, of course, she was pregnant with her around the time she married Tomin. Her life is one hell of a soap opera right about now, what with the drama, the tension, and the resurfacing old flame who just so happens to be her husband."

They gazed at each other, worry and concern batting between them, and she said, exhaling, "If this drags on, we're going to have to postpone the wedding..."

He nodded solemnly, replying softly as he reached up to gently run his knuckles against her jaw, "I know, Sam. I was thinking about it earlier. Two weeks. A lot can happen in that time."

With equal tenderness, she kissed his hand, whispering, "I know."

His strong hands moved to her waist, his fingers wandering the expanse of skin beneath her t-shirt as she murmured, her head rolling back, "I'd like to do it tonight, believe me, but your commanding officer has a lot of paperwork to do, not forgetting helping Carrie, Doctor Warner and Anise in running those tests on Adria... and I'm going to be too hot to sleep in a minute."

He was about to stop, when she murmured, "Screw it," and promptly lowered herself upon him, kissing him breathless. When they parted, he, gasping for breath, said, surprised,

"Sam?"

She settled down next to him as he instinctively placed an arm around her waist, "That... well, that was your deposit, Jackson."

He held her close, smiling against the back of her neck as he caressed her stomach, remarking as his cheeks reddened, "In that case, I can't wait for the full payment."

After a pause, she replied in a drowsy voice, "Me neither - it could be two weeks or even more if this Adria thing keeps on throwing things up."

His expression growing thoughtful, he remarked, feigning innocence, "We could always use the make-out closet."

She turned over in his embrace and just knew that his eyes were twinkling, despite barely being able to see him in the dark. Chuckling softly, she touched the tip of his nose and said,

"For anyone else, that would be fine, but we're on SG-1 - it would be all over the base within hours, and General Landry would have our asses on the line on the basis of the rumour alone. You remember how he was when he heard that rumour about us going at it in your office..."

His face heated up as he remembered being called before the General along with Sam, both of them highly embarrassed when the General had frankly asked them if the rumour had been true. She continued with a sigh,

"We have to show everyone that we can remain professional whilst on duty, especially on missions."

He held her tighter, saying with a groan as he smiled against her neck, "Oh, we've been doing fine, Sam."


	75. Examination Part II

On-base, Sam, Carolyn, Warner and the Tok'ra Anise ran a series of tests on Adria, using a mixture of Asgard, Goa'uld, and Tok'ra technology, within the confines of the Infirmary. Overlooking them were the rest of the team, Jack and Landry behind the observation window. A visibly distraught Vala sat in between Cam and Daniel, the two men holding her hands, as Jonas and Teal'c stood behind her, the two aliens placing hands on her shoulders.

Cam remarked, trying to inject some lightness into the heavy, almost choking atmosphere that had befallen the observation room, "It's nice having a CO with a speciality other than tactics."

Daniel and Jonas murmured their acquiescence as they watched the proceedings in the Infirmary below, and Teal'c replied, "Indeed."

Jack's head snapped round, and he said, an eyebrow raised, "Hey, haven't I always been nice to you?!"

Teal'c simply smirked at him, resulting in the General's eyebrows shooting up, Landry smiling in amusement, and Jonas patting the Jaffa on the shoulder. Jack then said idly, his gaze fixed on the medical team,

"Teal'c, you got your zat?"

Teal'c's eyebrow shot up as everyone looked at the General, Daniel looking as though he was a few feet away from leaping through the window - that particular thought made Jack wince internally - and Vala looking even more worried. Daniel's eyes narrowed when he realised that the remark had been an example of Jack's peculiar brand of humour, and he said quietly, his gaze shifting back to where it had been, Vala's too as he squeezed her hand in reassurance,

"Shut up, Jack. If anything happens, Sam's more than capable of coping."

Teal'c, his chin levelling, added, "ColonelCarter would manage the situation with the utmost valour and courage."

Jonas said, smiling slightly, "That's our Sam."

Cam rebuked his friends as he glanced worriedly at Vala, "Enough with the Armageddon talk - nothing's gonna happen."

Jack's eyes moved to the Archaeologist, anticipating a smart remark, but he noticed the younger man's gaze remain fixed on the proceedings below, his expression troubled. Before Jack could make a remark about Sam zatting her husband for not having faith in her abilities, Teal'c said,

"ColonelCarter and the medical team appear to be troubled."

Jonas added, his eyes narrowing as he analysed the situation, "It's like they're, ah, shocked."

Noticing Vala stiffen, Daniel and Cam each squeezed a hand, and Jack remarked, shooting a look at the Kelownan, "Hey! Let me be the cynical one around here."

When Daniel made a move to the nearest microphone, Jack raised an eyebrow and got there first, saying into it, "Carter, is hockey night off?"

Sam looked up at her superior officer from the Infirmary floor, and she called back, trying to hide her sinking feeling, "Sir, we'll brief you in a minute."

She turned away quickly before she could look at Daniel, knowing that he could read her like a book, just like she could, him, and Jack shrugged, saying, "Everything's fine... you know what those scientists are like."

Daniel noticed her quickly turn away and he tried to hide his growing worry at this for Vala's sake. The assembled personnel watched as the medical team looked resigned, and then left the Infirmary, soon joining them in the observation room after removing most of their scrubs. An air of resignation hung above the medical team, and Jack said, glancing at each member, briefly flinching on noticing Anise/Freya,

"What's up? You guys look as though you've been told the Discovery channel's been closed."

Warner glanced at Sam, who glanced at Carolyn, who in turn glanced at Freya, no-one wanting to be the one to break the news that they bore. Freya closed her eyes briefly and let Anise take over, the Tok'ra speaking in deep, rich tones,

"Adria's genetic structure is unstable."

Vala's eyes closed, most of the rest of the team, Jack and Landry offering as much comfort as they possibly could.

"From present estimations, she does not have much longer to live."

The Tok'ra closed her eyes again, Freya gaining control once more as she said, her expression sympathetic as she looked at Vala, "I am sorry to break such news to you."

Jack looked at Sam and said, needing to hear it from someone he trusted, "Carter?"

Sam replied, looking increasingly troubled as Cam held a distraught Vala, "Sir, Adria's not going to last the night. It's as though the Ori DNA was a binding agent, and without that, she's, literally, going to come apart. The data received from the tests was similar to the ones received from the tests conducted on Alebran's... remains six years ago. Ironically, the good thing, if it can be called that, is that the IOA and NID shouldn't be worried - she's clean."

A worried looking Carolyn glanced at Warner, who added, a grave expression on his face as he looked at Vala, "We don't know how it's going to happen when it happens, but it might be a good idea to say your goodbyes and everything soon."

Jack's only physical expression of his utter shock was a raise of his eyebrows, and as Woolsey entered the scene, Landry and Carolyn quickly briefed the IOA representative. Sam knelt before Vala's chair, the dark-haired woman now crying as she placed a hand on the glass of the observation window, and the Colonel pulled her into a hug, saying,

"I'm so sorry to give you this news, Vala."

The dark-haired woman clung onto her with surprising strength, and Jack said, clapping his hands on his thighs before getting up, "Right, briefing room - the lot of you..." He looked at Vala and Sam, and continued, "Well, ok, not the _lot_ of you..."

Sam looked up at a worried Cam and said, "Mitchell, cover for me. I've got it all handled here."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, saying quietly as she gazed at Vala, "Yes. She needs to do a few things."

The rest of the team exchanged glances before Teal'c and Jonas left with Jack, Landry, Woolsey, Warner and Freya. Cam, his features etched with worry, caressed Vala's hair, saying quietly,

"I'll be back."

With a lingering glance, he followed the others to the briefing room, and Sam looked up at Daniel and Carolyn, and said, "Jackson?"

Daniel shook his head and replied, his concern for Vala overwhelming his amusement at being called by his surname by his wife, "No, Colonel - I'm staying."

She looked at Vala again and softly asked, smoothing her hair, "Vala? Do you think you're up to going into the Infirmary yet?"

Vala half-straightened up, replying as she looked increasingly strained, "I suppose I'll have to be seeing as my daughter has little time left."

Carolyn said, her voice softening, "Vala, you don't have to go if you're not ready."

Vala shook her head as she dried her eyes, and Sam stood up, encouraging the dark-haired woman to stand too. She then said,

"You won't be alone. Daniel and I will be with you, and Carrie will be around if anything happens."

Vala nodded, whispering as she stared through the window, "Thanks."

Sam, Daniel and Carolyn exchanged glances before escorting the dark-haired woman to the Infirmary, Carolyn leaving for another part of the medical facility to oversee SG-3's treatment after a run-in with an off-world explosive-based security system.

Vala stepped closer to Adria's bed, her throat feeling as though it was closing up as she considered how much time her daughter had left. Daniel fetched a chair for her and gently sat her down as she watched over her unconscious daughter, smoothing her hair. Sam leant in the doorway behind them, not wanting to crowd Vala out, so she watched the heart-rendering scene unfold from her vantage point.

Vala held onto Adria's hand, gently grazing it with her lips as she looked over the younger woman with a mother's eyes. Daniel, a comforting arm around his team-mate, felt as though his heart was bleeding for her, for the young woman, barely a toddler who had nearly killed him and his friends on so many occasions and had killed many others in the name of religion. He understood, on one level, Vala's grief, as did Sam, and he watched, offering his strong, silent support as the mother grieved for the daughter she had barely known, a daughter whom she had fruitlessly tried to save.

A couple of hours later, Carolyn stealthily checked the monitors, not wanting to intrude on the private moment as Adria's eyes flickered open, the younger woman saying, sounding confused as she looked at Vala and then Daniel and back to her mother once again,  
"Mother?"

Vala, tears in her eyes, nodded and whispered, "Yes, little one."

Adria asked, gazing up at her, "Why are you crying?"

Vala sniffed back her tears and said, half-convincing in her cheerfulness, "Because I'm proud of my little girl."

Adria closed her eyes in discomfort and asked, "Why does it hurt?"

Vala smoothed the younger woman's forehead, and whispered, tears in her eyes once again, "I don't know, but the pain will go soon, I promise."

Daniel looked up at Carolyn, about to ask about painkillers when the CMO shook her head, saying, regret in her voice, "I'm sorry - there isn't anything I can do. She's already had more than the recommended dosage of every painkiller we have. Any more, and she'll be at risk of having multiple organ failure."

The briefing over, the team, the Generals and Woolsey returned to the observation room, the Tok'ra having left a little earlier. Cam came round to join Sam in the doorway to watch his girlfriend and his best friend, Sam's arm around him.

Suddenly, Adria began to choke, the monitors beeping erratically. Carolyn and her team of Nurses pushed a confused Vala and Daniel out of the way as they began to work on the former Orici. The two of them joined Cam and Sam in the doorway, Daniel holding a grief-stricken Vala close to him, her back to the proceedings as everyone else watched, hopeful yet resigned.

Adria then began to gasp, her body bloating up. Before the medics could do anything, the bloating increased, veins and capillaries visible through the stretched skin, and suddenly, she exploded into a rush of water, the medical team just leaping out of the way in time as everyone but Vala watched in shock. As everyone watched, the water disappeared as soon as it hit the ground, and Carolyn instantly quarantined that part of the Infirmary, pushing the four members of SG-1 out into the corridor as a Nurse took samples of the surfaces which the water had touched.

The four members of SG-1 joined their stunned friends in the observation room, Vala still holding onto Daniel. As they watched the medical team remove items of bedding for analysis, the Archaeologist whispered, gazing down at the dark-haired woman in his arms with a sad expression,

"I'm sorry, Vala."

Realising what had happened, she clung onto him tighter, her eyes shut as she began to sob uncontrollably, their friends attempting to offer comfort in the form of words and caresses. Carolyn, having collected everything that she required, sending them to be analysed, stood before Adria's now stripped down bed, her head bowed briefly as a mark of respect as she herself felt angry and upset at not being able to do anything for the younger woman.

The medical doctor joined the gathering in the observation room and said regretfully as she approached an almost hysterical Vala, who was now clinging onto the front of Daniel's BDU shirt with all her might while she sobbed, "Vala, I'm sorry. Adria's gone. It appears that her cells broke down. I'm so very sorry."

Concerned, she reached out a hand to smooth the hair of the second female SG-1 member briefly before returning to the Infirmary, regret in each step. Vala now took to pounding Daniel's chest, whispering between sobs,

"She's gone... she's gone..."

Daniel held onto her, knowing that she needed to let her grief out, letting her know that he was there with his presence and his offer of physical comfort alone. Sam watched, tears in her own eyes as she thought of Cammie, and she eventually said to everyone else,

"Come on, let her grieve in private."

Everyone else but Cam left, albeit reluctantly, and suddenly, when Daniel was about to gently hand her to Cam, she bolted out of the room, her grief for all to see, tears streaming down her face. Sam said, a hand on Cam's shoulder,

"Go after her, Cam... she needs you."

When a worried Cam had left, Sam and Daniel looked at each other, both tired and strained, and she, forgetting professionalism for a moment, wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder as his arms went around her. They held onto each other for what appeared to be an eternity, each drawing comfort and strength from the other, and she said, fighting back her tears,

"I don't care who Adria used to be - it was hard watching Vala go through watching her daughter in her final hours... God, I... that poor woman needs a break."

He gently kissed her neck, replying, his voice laced with emotion, "I know... The universe appears to have it in for our troubled team-mate."


	76. Lunatic Rights

One day, as Sam filled out some paperwork, Jonas talking excitedly at the prospect of asking Carolyn out, her phone rang. Sam, glad of the interruption as Jonas was beginning to grate on her nerves, grabbed the phone, almost in desperation and flashed an apologetic smile at the Kelownan, saying into the handset,

"Jackson."

She listened for a short while, a troubled expression on her face and she said before replacing the handset, "On my way."

Jonas, instantly curious, asked, "Sam, what is it?"

Sam, grabbing her BDU jacket and throwing it on as she left her lab, replied, "Gateroom."

Still not answering Jonas' questions, she peered into Cam's and Daniel's offices, the two men joining her and Jonas as she purposefully strode down the corridor, to the lift.

The gateroom was a pandemonium. Teal'c and Landry were already there with Siler and the gateroom personnel, a sheepish looking Tomin standing in the middle of the ramp as Vala, the centre of the trouble, shouted hysterically up at the gateroom from a few feet in front of him,

"Dial the Stargate! Do it now. I'm going with my husband and you can't stop me!"

Cam winced at the h-word, his heart feeling as though it was made of lead and compressing his stomach to inhuman proportions, and Teal'c said, his voice cutting through everything else,

"ValaMalDoran, you are not of sound mind."

"I. Don't. Care!"

Before Sam could nudge him, Daniel stepped out from behind her and slowly approached their hysterical team-mate. When he was right in front of her, he said quietly,

"Vala, where are you going?"

Vala, tearstains visible on her cheeks, turned to him and suddenly couldn't find the wherewithal to shout any more. She bowed her head and replied,

"I have to go, Daniel. I can't stay here any more. I've done so many bad things and..."

"Bullshit."

Even she raised her head at that exclamation, and he continued, his voice softening as everyone else watched with bated breath, "Vala, we're your friends. What you did in the past is just that - the past. You have come such a long way, and you're going to throw all of that away because of your grief. You're not alone - you've got all of us... Mitchell, Teal'c, Sam, Jonas... me. We don't want you to go. Did you ever think that we might just miss you if you ran off? You're one of us, now and forever."

Her gaze fell during his little speech as she listened to his words, and he outstretched his hand, saying as he tried to look her in the eyes, "Come on, Vala."

She looked at his hand, an argument raging within her until she finally reached out a shaky hand, grasping his for all that it was worth. She then fell into his arms, crying as he held her close, saying quietly, his eyes closed as everyone else, including an awkward looking Tomin, left the gateroom out of politeness, Sam and Cam unsure of what to think,

"Vala, it would take something pretty damn huge for us to not want you any more, believe me."

She held onto him, whispering, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be... you're still grieving. You have every right to behave like a lunatic."


	77. Southern Heartbreak

Sam and Daniel, alone in her lab, sat next to each other, their knees touching as they quietly talked about the situation. She said as she massaged her temples,

"There's talk of giving Tomin residency here. They'd already asked him but then Vala pulled that little thing."

She sighed, and he slowly ran his fingers through her hair which she had untied as stress relief, and said, "She's still grieving, and plus she thinks she has to choose between Tomin and Mitchell. I hope she doesn't make a decision that she regrets."

She leant her head on his shoulder as she held onto him, replying, her eyes closed, "Me neither."

He tenderly kissed her temple, whispering, "There's just over a week left - there's still time to postpone. We only have to tell Mark and his family, Sara as well as Cassie and her plus one. Everyone else knows about the programme..."

He smiled as he continued, "... including Uncle George."

She smiled, and then said with a groan, "We're going to have that tension relief soon because I'm going to end up going round and yelling at people... Poor Simmons..."

"Ah, yes, the poor young man that you scarred for life by shouting at him for giving you the wrong 'gate diagnostic folder. I get the feeling he'll be talking about it in therapy twenty years from now."

"Well... it serves him right for being a bumbling idiot."

He held her closer and said, nuzzling her neck, "We'll get round to it. I get the feeling that we'll have to get round to it soon."

Having spent years in the company of one Jack O'Neill, her instant reply was, an eyebrow raised, "Ya think?"

He smiled, amused as he affectionately touched the tip of her nose, about to say something when there was a knock on the door. They quietly groaned in frustration, she remarking,

"So much for bringing home to work..."

She called, looking towards the door, "It's open."

The door opened to reveal a troubled Cam, and Daniel asked, instantly worried, "Mitchell? What's wrong?"

Cam asked, glancing around the lab, "Have you seen Vala? She said that she had to use the bathroom and she's been gone for an hour. I got Captain Evans to take a look and she isn't in there..." He ran his fingers through his hair in distress, and continued, "I don't know where she could be."

Sam, forgetting her jacket or even the fact that her hair was down, left the lab, silently albeit quickly gesturing for Cam and Daniel to follow her. After she had searched the ladies' room again, she and the two men searched every possible place where Vala could have been, including the Commissary and her quarters, but to no avail.

Suddenly, Sam got a very sad, sinking feeling in her gut and she wordlessly walked to the guest quarters, her male team-mates looking confused at first. She knocked on a door, and when no-one answered, she peeked into the doorway and looked stunned on what she had witnessed. A shell-shocked Vala and a sleeping Tomin were lying together, naked, the sheets just about riding above the former Ori follower's hips as Vala looked stunned and was looking over at Tomin, unseeing.

She gently closed the door, and Daniel asked as the three of them walked away down a corridor, "Sam?"

Sam wouldn't say anything until they were some distance away, and she took Cam by surprise when she angrily slammed him up against the wall. Daniel, quickly stepping between her and Cam to prevent serious damage to the southern Colonel, asked, gently touching her arm,

"Sam? What is it?"

Sam, her eyes flashing with anger, said to a now scared Cam, "Why the hell did you have to leave her alone?! You knew she wasn't herself! You... agh..."

Cam, taking a wild guess at what Sam had seen, looked down at his feet in despair, the revelation taking hold. Sam, resisting the urge to slam him against the wall once again, clenched her fists and threw them down before storming off to her lab. Daniel said to Cam,

"Just talk to Vala a little later - don't tell her that you know though. It might be too much for her."

Cam nodded, heartbroken as he said, "And you've got to talk to Sam. I swear, she would have dislodged several vertebrae if she hadn't been too upset to focus."

Daniel grimaced at the prospect of talking to his wife when she was in a mood, and said, "Deal."

Cam remarked, wincing as he glanced over his shoulder, checking it with his other hand, "I got the unstable one, and you just got the crazy one."

Daniel narrowed his eyes at the Colonel briefly, not feeling like smiling before quickly jogging in the direction of her lab as Cam walked in the opposite direction to get some thinking done.


	78. Support

Daniel cautiously peeked around the door to Sam's lab. The fact that it was closed in the first place without him inside rang alarm bells in his head as he knew that the only other time that she closed the door with her inside was when she was upset and, as a by-product, trying to shut the world out.

He saw her running her fingers through her hair, her fingers massaging her temples as she silently cried, looking increasingly strained and overwhelmingly upset. He frowned slightly as he wondered why she was so upset at Vala being with Tomin. Did she have a secret thing with the former General of the Ori forces? He quickly shook all such thoughts out of his head like cobwebs, easy to form yet so easy to break, after some stickiness, and he watched her, not sure if it was safe to approach as he had never seen her this upset before. To see her in that way made his chest constrict. He had promised to make her happy, to keep her happy, and yet here she was crying and raging about something he couldn't understand.

His eyes flitting around the inside of the lab, noting much to his concern some broken glass and water in the far corner of the room, the water forming abstract patterns on the wall. She had evidently thrown a glass in her anger. He was glad on one level that he had missed that moment, but that was soon overwhelmed by his curiosity and inner pain.

Pausing a moment to make sure that she wasn't still in throwing mode, he stepped in, closing the door behind him quietly and locking it - the galaxy could wait - it had been waiting for millions of years so a couple of hours would be small, microscopic potatoes. He drew up a chair to her right, and asked softly, his fingers, tentatively at first, reaching for her hairline as he ran his fingers through her long fair hair,

"Sam?"

She sniffed, and remarked in a whisper, her hands covering her eyes, partially in embarrassment, "I knew you'd come."

He smiled briefly, giving her a chance to talk at her own pace. Instantly knowing this, she looked down at her hands which were now trembling as they rested in her lap, and she began quietly,

"He shouldn't have left her..."

Reaching for her hands, his thumbs smoothing the backs of them in a familiar calming gesture that she knew so well, he asked, his gaze appearing to be focussed on his task but in reality, waiting for what was to come next. She didn't disappoint in that respect.

"I..."

She pressed her lips together, her eyes closed as she turned away, and he said, a hand reaching up to caress her face, "Sam?"

She shook her head and continued in the same quiet voice as her gaze once more returned to their hands, "After we found out that Cassie was finally safe... I needed to get away from everything."

She exhaled a shuddering breath, and, agitated, she ran her fingers through her hair, the words feeling like lead weights in her mouth. He didn't say anything, just reached up to caress her cheek as he looked at her, his worry growing.

"... I drove up to Denver... to this bar and..."

She almost choked on the words, and she closed her eyes tightly, her head bowed as she said, forcing the words out in a tumble lest they attempt to hide, "I got very drunk. I met this guy and we... we spent the night together. I don't remember much of it. I woke up in the morning and I remember feeling that it was one huge mistake. He rang me a few times afterwards but stopped when I told him that I couldn't do it."

The silence hung in the air like a choking blanket of sulphur dioxide. He blinked slowly, processing what he had heard, and then his gaze softened. He edged his chair a little closer and pulled her stiff figure into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head as he said, his eyes closed,

"Is that what's got you so upset, comparing that to what Vala's just done?"

She nodded, eventually clinging onto him, and she whispered, "I'm sorry."

He frowned in confusion and asked, "Why?"

He then looked guilt-stricken as he continued, "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I was there for you during the danger hours with Cassie and I was overwhelmingly relieved when you were still alive, but I wasn't there for you afterwards. I figured that you needed some time alone because Janet was adopting her and you couldn't without some serious compromises."

As she straightened up, drying her eyes and still managing to look surprised, he gazed at her and said, "I'm sorry Sam. I failed you. You could have hurt yourself - the guy could have been one of those types who prey on lonely women... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost you like that."

His gaze dropped to his hands, and she blinked in surprise, saying, "Daniel, it wasn't your fault! You were - are - a great friend, my best friend in fact... Come on, I'm a grown woman. And anyway, i I'm /i sorry. You're probably pissed on some level..."

She trailed off, wincing, and he met her gaze, remarking as his blush grew, "Sam, I'm neither a chauvinist nor a prude... And despite my prior involuntary celibacy, I wasn't a virgin when we... uh... got together."

She smiled at his embarrassment before resting her elbows on the table as she said, letting out a long breath as she looked thoughtful, her hands reaching near her neck to hold

handfuls of her hair, "I didn't have anyone and I pretty much went off the rails when I went home that night. During that whole... thing, I had to keep everything up inside, and it was a chance to get it all out. Vala needs someone now, and that someone should have been Cam but he left her alone and she went back to Tomin. She's already confused about him, and then Adria came back into her life..."

She looked at Daniel, understanding dawning on his features, and she continued, "If I could two things in my life, it would be Mom's death of course, and that. It was a huge mistake, but I wasn't thinking straight and I..."

She sighed and said, closing her eyes, "I'm sorry Daniel. I'm so sorry."

He shook his head as she opened her eyes again, and replied, "No. It doesn't matter. I understand. I knew you were upset then but I thought you needed some time alone after everything that happened. I was a terrible friend to you. You don't need to apologise..."

"And neither do you."

They gazed at each other for a long moment, and he pulled her into his arms once again, and asked as he gazed down at her, "Are you going to be ok?"

She nodded against his shoulder after a beat, and replied, "I will be. We need to help Vala and sort everything out."

He held onto her, comforting her with his presence and touch, and he kissed her forehead. She sighed, the sound half-happy as she smiled slightly. She whispered,

"I can't wait for all of this to eventually blow over. I swear, whenever we don't have intergalactic emergencies to deal with, we've got soap operas to deal with. I just want to be able to lay in bed with you without worrying about how one member of my team is doing, whether her and my second-in-command are going to have problems that will lead to the team splitting up, whether another member of my team is going to really ask out Carrie... Oh, and whether one, tall silent member of my team is going to return from his visits to Hak'tyl one day without acting like a bear with a sore head...

"... And when I'm going to lose the immortal member of my team again... And that's all in between wondering how things are going to play out in general, how are kids are going to turn out, and whether my bumbling colleague in my department is going to finally blow up the base and whether he's part of a long-winded Goa'uld plan to piss me off."

He smiled as he thought of Felger, and he said, his smile fading as he said quietly, "You're not going to lose me. I can't promise you anything, but I'll try not to scare you too much."

Her hands reached under his BDU jacket, smoothing his back through his t-shirt, and she whispered, closing her eyes as she remembered each of his deaths and close-calls, "You better not. I will find you and cause you some serious harm."

He smiled, remarking as he pushed his glasses up, "I like that threat. It's a good threat."

"You bet."

She sighed, and said, "I can't wait to go home and just leave the mountain behind... or as much as possible given my present rank. The paperwork and the action, I can handle, but the love-or-otherwise lives of the people under my command? Hell no. I never had much of a head for soap operas..."

He smiled again, and she straightened up, smiling back at him as she said, her face looking clearer than it had been, "Thank you..."

When he looked confused, she continued, "... for being you. I love how I can talk to you about anything and you're not judgemental. You just listen."

"Well, I... uh..."

She chuckled as she watched him grow embarrassed, and she leant forward, holding the left side of his face in her right hand, her thumb smoothing the skin under his eye. He smiled, knowing what was to come, and he placed his hand at the small of her back as their lips met, the fingers of her left hand running through his soft hair as her right gradually moved down to his shoulder.

She groaned, her head rolling back as his lips moved to her neck and under her ear. She clung onto him, not caring about their surroundings for a moment as a hand reached behind him to caress his neck, sending delicious tingles through his body.

Their little private moment was interrupted by a knocking sound. They simultaneously groaned, reluctantly parting as they each straightened out their hair and clothes, the Astrophysicist looking amused as she straightened his glasses. She then called,

"Come in."

Vala's voice came back, the door handle rattling, "Well, I would like to but seeing as you have it locked because you're having hot sex in there, I'll have to resort to breaking this delightfully small lock."

The Jacksons exchanged a panicked looked tinged with embarrassment before they both got up, each intending to unlock the door. After an awkward moment that they would find amusing in hindsight, he went to unlock it, reddening as he opened it when Vala remarked,

"Jonas was right, you do work fast."

Daniel rolled his eyes and stood aside to let her in, closing the door behind her when he noted that despite the joking, she was looking strained. She perched on the edge of the worktable, near to where he had sat, and Sam asked as he leant against the table from the other side,

"Vala?"

Vala released a shuddering breath and finally said in a frighteningly level voice, "I slept with Tomin. I cheated on Cameron and slept with Tomin. I don't know how or why... I just did."

Sam glanced at Daniel worriedly, and he said, a fierce glint in his eyes, "Did he force you? If he has, I'll find him and make him wish that he had never been born."

Sam fought to keep a straight face as she was ever so slightly turned on by his protectiveness, and she looked to Vala, who had been looking away from them, for her response. The dark-haired woman replied in a vehement tone, her arms folded across her chest,

"No! Of course not. I'm not stupid. I was an equal participant to the, uh, proceedings."

Her chin dropped to her chest and he slipped behind Sam to hug their friend, and she said in a whisper, her eyes closed, "Cameron's going to kill me. I cheated on him and..."

Daniel shook his head about to speak when Sam said, glancing at him, "He understands, Vala. He knows what happened and he realised that he should have been there for you more. Just talk to him."

Vala's head shot up and she looked at her commanding officer in surprise and, admittedly, dread. Daniel said, glancing down at her,

"It's true."

Vala rested her head on his chest once again and as Sam stood, smoothing her long dark hair, she said, sounding tired, "I don't know what to do. I have to choose. Now, the IOA have offered him residency again, and he said that he'd stay for me. It was a little easier before because whoever I chose, the other wouldn't be around, but now... I love them both and I have to decide and..."

She sighed, and Sam said, "Vala, no-one's asking you to choose. You've just suffered a bereavement. The deadline for Tomin's residency is mid-April so you have over a month to decide."

Vala shook her head and said, "You don't understand. Tomin's a nice man - I can't break his heart, but Cameron's going to be hurt too."

Sam said with a shrug, her eyes showing her sympathy, "Just remember who has loved you for being you, and who would never leave you intentionally. I'm not trying to push you towards Cam because he's my second-in-command and one of my best friends... It's just... Vala, I don't want to push you either way, but it seems like you're going for Tomin for the wrong reasons."

Vala looked thoughtful and said, "Tomin's a nice man. I'm not in love with him but he's come so far and..."

Daniel gently rubbed her back in small circles, asking, "Would it be better to live a lie? I think you should tell him before he decides to stay on Earth for you. The IOA have promised him resettlement on another safe world so you don't have to worry about that."


	79. How to Distract your Archaeologist

One evening, the twins asleep, Sam lay soaking in the bath, her eyes closed as she enjoyed some much needed R & R. It had taken her a while to be comfortable home alone after Pete breaking in, but she had got there eventually. She allowed her mind to wander as she savoured the warmth and the light floral scent, and she thought back to an earlier conversation with Daniel that day.

She sighed, thinking about the situation with Vala, which reaffirmed her and Daniel's mutual decision to postpone their upcoming wedding if things didn't blow over soon, or until everyone was the right side of sane... if they had been in the first place. Neither her nor Daniel had any regrets regarding postponing -- they valued their friends more, and wanted everyone to be happy rather than stressed, especially seeing as their wedding had been divided into two parts - off-base with Mark and his family, and Sara-soon-to-be-or-otherwise-O'Neill, and on-base with all of their friends.

A wistful smile tugged at her mouth when she thought of not being able to see Cassie's boyfriend, but the thought was discarded as soon as it came. There would be other times.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of the front door opening and then closing, and she froze. She was about to get out to get dressed and ready when she heard a voice that made her smile,

"Honey... as much as it's a cliché that would even make Jack cringe, I'm home!"

She smiled and relaxed again as she heard the thuds of familiar footsteps on the stairs, the footsteps going in the opposite direction from the bathroom to the twins' room. Hearing the twins' door gently close, she said,

"Hey Daniel, how was Balinsky today?"

The bathroom door opened to reveal a now distracted looking Daniel, who pushed his glasses up and said, "Um... yeah, he's... Balinsky."

She smiled in amusement at his distracted expression and he said, "I'll, uh, just go and, uh, get... ready."

She shook her head slightly and remarked, "Daniel, you have seen way more than this... huh, fine, I'll just get out anyway..."

She muttered to herself, "Hm, embarrassed, immortal Archaeologists..."

He rolled his eyes and retorted, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Sam... If I stayed here, I'd forget what day it is."

His smile turned sultry as he added, "Anyway, I'm coming back - I've got to shower..."

He left, and she rolled her eyes at where he had been before anticipating watching him shower. To her, the sight alone was worth being pruned up on a whole new level. She remarked to the twins' plastic ducks on the shelf near her,

"Odd man, isn't he?... Huh, what do you know - you're made from Polyethelene."

She heard him call, "Sam. Are you talking to the ducks again?"

She poked her tongue out and went back to closing her eyes and relaxing, keeping an ear out for his approach. She smiled as she watched him undress while he talked,

"... Balinsky just got so annoying that when Teal'c came to hang out, he reminded him of the sex and water story, and the poor guy went so red. It shut him up for a good hour or so..."

She remarked, "He just likes you, that's all. Cam has that whole hero worship going on too, but not as crazily..."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she exclaimed, "It's true... he knows us like the General knows the stats of the wrestlers in Smackdown on his PS-2. It's scary sometimes."

He smiled slightly, and then asked as he got into the shower, only then taking off his boxers, "So... how was your half day?"

She chuckled softly, biting back a remark as she watched him through the frosted glass, the water starting up, "Oh well, the twins ran around like lunatics, and at one point, jumped off the television."

She heard him laugh under the water, saying, "Oh God, last week, James kept insisting on hiding under the spare bed naked... he gets it from you."

She feigned disbelief, exclaiming, "Me!? I'm not the one who landed naked in the General's office!"

She knew he was embarrassed as he retorted, "That was artistic nudity..."

Her eyebrow shot up.

"In the General's office?!"

"Uh-huh."

She chuckled and continued watching him. When he had finished and was drying off, he looked up at her and asking, looking confused, "Aren't you getting out?"

She smiled, replying, "I got distracted by that Archaeologist again."

"Ah, that idiot who keeps making my wife zone out..."

She laughed and said as she feigned exasperation, "Fine, I'll get out then..."

She got up, wrapping a towel around herself and went about draining the water as he froze, much to her amusement although she didn't let on that she knew until she had turned around. A hand holding her towel in place, she reached an arm behind his neck and kissed him, as his arms went around her, and she whispered in his ear, making the tops of his ears redden,

"Seeing you in just a towel's doing weird things to me."

He couldn't even speak, and by the time he had found the words and was about to push them out, she had gone, smiling mysteriously. He followed, finding her putting her t-shirt on, and as he slipped a pair of boxers on, she sat down at the foot of the bed and asked, her smile gone,

"Do you think we should just cancel outright? I mean, we are married already, and I suppose we could have some sort of a party later... although it would be nice to have some non-classified photos."

He sat down next to her as he shrugged a t-shirt on and he said, "I don't know. There's still time though. It's funny that you mentioned it - Vala came to find me a little earlier and told me not to, and she was pretty forceful about it, saying that we shouldn't postpone anything for her. I told her that it was because she's our friend but she wouldn't listen. It's probably guilt though..."

He hugged, and she leant into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. He kissed her forehead and said,

"Speaking of time, do you fancy eating something? There's still a couple of hours."

"Ok."

Still holding her, he said, gazing at her tenderly, "It's going to work out, Sam. I... well, I can't promise you anything given the nature of our jobs, but you know... It will."

She nodded against his chest, replying quietly, "I hope so Daniel... I sure as heck hope so."


	80. Tomin's Off

The day had come for Tomin to leave again, the former General of the Ori forces having agreed to leaving once again. SG-1 stood at the base of the ramp with Jack and Landry but without Vala as Tomin said his farewells. Walter had dialled the 'gate and all was set when Vala calmly walked in, remarking,

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye were you?"

Tomin's face briefly contorted in pain as he looked at her, the sadness evident in his eyes, and he replied as all present readied themselves for a repeat performance of the last time he had tried to leave,

"I have to."

She approached him as the event horizon established and he stood in the middle of the ramp, looking forlorn. She said, closing her eyes briefly to hold back the tears,

"I'm so sorry Tomin. I'm so very sorry... You're a good man and I love you but I'm not in love with you. I can't make you happy in the long-term."

He gazed at her, memorising every detail of her face as he replied tenderly, "Vala, do not be sorrowful. I will cherish the short time that we had, and I will be mindful of the mistakes that I made that resulted in me not being able to keep you."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, and said, "No Tomin. It's not because of that. I can't make you happy, and besides, there'll be other girls."

He smiled wistfully, remarking as he tentatively caressed her jaw, "But no-one like you. Goodbye, my beloved."

She pressed her lips tightly together in a vain attempt to stop herself from crying, and she replied, tears spilling down her cheeks, "Bye, Tomin."

He said as he briefly glanced past her to Cam, "I wish you all the best in your life.

ColonelMitchell has given you everything that I could not - you must not lose him."

"What about you?"

"I will heal, Vala. Do not worry about me. Worry only about the things to come for verily they are to be worried about."

She smiled slightly, saying quietly, "The Story of Alekron."

He smiled back at her before saying, "I owe you a lifetime of gratitude for encouraging me to take this path. As a result, I am free from the tyranny of false gods."

She reached up to smooth his jaw, and she then said, "You've only got twenty minutes before Walter has to dial again."

"I am aware of that fact."

He leant down to kiss her tenderly, and said in a whisper, "Farewell."

With a lingering glance, he walked away from her, their hands eventually separating. With a quiet sigh she watched him go, and when the wormhole had disengaged, she just stood there, looking at where he had been, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Sam and Teal'c simultaneously nudged an awkward looking Cam, who then stepped forward as most of everyone else dispersed, and took her in his arms as she rested her head on his chest. Sam closed her eyes briefly and left with Teal'c and Jonas, Jack remarking as he patted Daniel on the back,

"We-hell, it looks like it'll work out after all."

Daniel didn't say anything - he just watched Cam and Vala, hoping for the best, and Landry remarked, "Don't jinx it, Jack."


	81. Coffee

A couple of hours later, as Sam went through some more paperwork, hope lingering in her heart, Daniel slipped in, holding two mugs of coffee. She looked up and smiled, saying,

"Hey."

She thanked him for the mug he handed her, and she asked as he sat next to her, "So... what happened?"

He shrugged and replied, "They went away, presumably to her quarters..."

He cleared his throat, and she smiled in amusement into her coffee, and he said, "So... what are you doing?"

She threw her hands up, saying, "Paperwork. Nearly done though."

He raised his eyebrows briefly, and she asked, her eyes focussed on her work, "You ready to go home?"

He shrugged again and said, "Pretty much. After the almost-melée in the gateroom, I can't focus too well, although I'm pretty much done anyhow."

"Typical..."

He continued, his smile growing, "Anyway, I don't mind hanging around. In fact, this crazy Astrophysicist I know needs some cheering up."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and then said, continuing her filling out of a form, "That Astrophysicist again, eh? I've heard stories about her."

He raised both of his eyebrows at her, and she continued, smiling mischievously, "She's insane in the membrane, apparently."

He chuckled, and she eventually threw her pen down, saying with a strained smile, "Right, that's done!"

She looked at his amused expression, and asked, "What?"

He shrugged, looking at her over the top of his glasses as he replied, smiling, "Nothing... Well, you're just so exuberant about paperwork. Jack used to try to avoid it all costs until Gen... um, Uncle George pulled him on it a few times."

She smiled in memory, before remarking in bemusement, "I'm far from exuberant, Jackson! I was working up the gall to fake a pregnancy to get off work early."

He choked on his coffee, and she smiled sweetly at him. When he eventually stopped coughing, his coffee thankfully not going anywhere but in a few drops on the table, he asked, a little hoarse, "You're not... are you?"

She smiled a little more, raising an eyebrow at him in a teasing gesture. He actually paled. She covered her mouth with her hand as she began to laugh, and she remarked,

"Oh for crying out loud, Daniel... Seriously, you would know if I was pregnant. Really."

She grinned as he recovered, and he said, his eyebrows raised, "So..."

Their gazes simultaneously shifted to each other's lips, and she remarked in a murmur as they grew closer, "Oh, the writing was on the wall already..."

Their lips met and they kissed hungrily, both of them forgetting the open door as they lost themselves in each other. They broke apart, embarrassed, when they heard a wolf-whistle and Jack's voice call,

"Hm, I'd be careful about that Carter. While we all know that naked descension boy here won't die easily, I don't think it's transferable, even by marriage."


	82. Chocolate and Honey

Later that night, after settling their twins down and getting ready for bed, Sam lay next to him, her fingers drawing circles on his abdomen, around his appendectomy and c-section scars as she propped herself up on an elbow. Daniel frowned slightly as he watched her, realising that she was deep in thought as her gaze was distant. He asked quietly, concerned,

"Sam?"

She sighed and her gaze focussed on him, and she said with a smile, "Just thinking."

Smiling in bemusement, he remarked, "I can see that."

She closed her eyes briefly and asked, "There are only a couple of nights left now."

Realising what she meant, he whispered as he gazed up at her, "You've got tomorrow morning off Sam, and I don't really have to go in..."

Her eyes sparkled in amusement and she asked, "Is that an offer?"

He shrugged and retorted, "It's a solution to our tension..."

She raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "You too?"

He looked at her in disbelief, and she said, "Well, for a bad liar, you did a good job of hiding that too."

He rolled his eyes and retorted, smiling nonetheless, "Ah yes, like someone's going to ask me... And anyway, it's not any of their business."

She smiled at him and he caressed her waist, asking, "Do you want it tonight?"

"Um, only if you're..."

"Sam. I did say _our_ tension."

He turned over to kiss her, an arm tightly around her waist as the gesture grew in intensity. During the kiss, he rolled her onto her back, his fingers busy underneath her t-shirt as she bucked against him. When their lips parted, he gazed down at her and said with a smile, his eyes radiating with love,

"I love you, Samantha..."

Her fingers worked their way under his t-shirt and then under the waistband of his boxers as she replied, "I love you too."

They parted to take their own clothes off, the task almost impossible in their present positions, and they returned to kissing each other. As her hands roamed his body, he trailed kisses down her throat, and then her breasts, both of them letting out muted cries as they each bucked due to the other's caresses.

Soon, breathing heavily, she whispered in his ear as she held him closer to her, "I think now would be a good time..."

He smiled as he kissed her neck before positioning himself, and she added, looking up at him as her body glistened with sweat like his, "Don't be polite either."

He raised his eyebrows briefly before proceeding to plunge deep into her. Her head rolled back into the pillow as she groaned, calling out his name as he began to move, calling her name. With each movement, he whispered declarations of love for her in her ear as she became lost in the ecstacy that lay before them both.

With a scream that neither could contain, they simultaneously climaxed, and he collapsed on top of her. He was about to move when she held onto him tighter in a gesture not to, whispering,

"Wow."

Breathless as she was, he replied as he felt her erractic heartbeat near his, "Yep, wow... and that doesn't cover it... Uh, do you want me to move?"

"No, stay here."

Understanding, he relaxed a little more and kissed her neck, saying, "I don't think we would have lasted 'til the Big Day."

As she tightened her hold around his shoulders again, she remarked, "Oh, are you kidding - we'd be tearing up the White Pages..."

She kissed his shoulder, whispering with a happy sigh, "I just love how it never gets old with you. Each time we do it, it always feel different..."

He smiled against her neck as he looked at her hair, replying with an equally happy sigh, "Yep, I know what you mean. It's nice."

"That it is..."

"So... uh, when we eventually _don't_ feel like jell-o, do you want to eat something?"

Her hand ran up and down his neck as he gazed down at her, before gently pushing his head down to hers. They kissed, the kiss gradually deepening as they simultaneously moaned into each other's mouths. They parted, breathless once again, and she replied, her other hand drifting down his back and to his backside,

"Chocolate would be nice."

His eyes lit up further, and his smile turned sultry as he gazed down at her. He whispered as he buried his nose in her hair, resulting in one surprised albeit happier Astrophysicist,

"Honey would be nice too."


	83. Colouring In

_Lyrics featured are For Baby (For Bobby) by John Denver_

--------------------

The next morning, after breakfast, Sam, Daniel and the twins were laid on their fronts in the grass in the back yard, each member of the Carter-Jacksons colouring in pictures, the younger two singing as the two adults laughed quietly and shot each other little looks.

Sam, laughing at Daniel's soulful rendition of the Barney song, tickled Cammie and said, "Come on, I bet you could do better than that."

The little girl giggled and then shook her head. Sam frowned in bemusement and then looked at James and asked, "Alright, you have a go."

He glanced at his sister before giggling too and shaking his head, saying, "No Mommy."

Sam closed her eyes briefly and looked at Daniel, who was feigning innocence, and she asked, an eyebrow raised, "Have you been training them again, or have they fallen in love with your eyes?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows at her, smiling and reddening, and she chuckled, shaking her head slightly. She said to the twins as she coloured in a tree trunk,

"Fine, I'll sing."

Shooting a knowing look at Daniel, she returned her attention to colouring as she began, her voice gentle:

"_I'll walk in the rain by your side, __  
__I'll cling to the warmth your hand, __  
__I'll do anything to help you understand __  
__I love you more than anybody can..."_

She was surprised when Daniel began to join in, his voice low as the twins babbled along. She smiled at him and he held her hand while they each returned to colouring.

_"...And the wind will whisper your name to me __  
__little birds will sing along in time, __  
__leaves will bow down when you walk by __  
__and morning bells will chime __  
__  
__I'll be there when you're feelin' down __  
__to kiss away the tears if you cry, __  
__I'll share with you all the happiness I've found __  
__a reflection of the love in your eyes..."_

Jack opened the backdoor from the inside, he and Teal'c having heard the singing from

inside, and he and Teal'c stealthily emerged from the house, stationing themselves on the

back deck as they watched, both of them smiling and not wanting to interrupt._"...And I'll sing you the songs of the rainbow, __  
__the whisper of the joy that is mine __  
__leaves will bow down when you by __  
__and morning bells will chime __  
__  
__I'll walk in the rain by your side, __  
__I'll cling to the warmth your tiny hand, __  
__I'll do anything to help you satisfied __  
__I love you more than anybody can__  
__  
__And the wind will whisper your name to me __  
__little birds will sing along in time, __  
__leaves will bow down when you walk by __  
__and morning bells will chime..."_

All four Carter-Jacksons were startled when Jack let out a whooping whistle and clapped, calling, "Way to go, Von Trapp family singers!"

Teal'c said, calmly but smiling slightly, "I believe the Italian word 'bravo' is in order."

Jack and Teal'c approached their position, joining the little colouring circle, the General wincing as he kneeled. As Teal'c picked up a giggling James, Sam looked concerned at Jack, asking,

"Sir?"

Jack shook his head, remarking, "It's those darned knees, Carter... Jackson... uh, what are you calling yourself anyway?"

Daniel smirked in amusement, and Sam explained with a shrug as he picked up a crayon, "Well, officially I'm Carter-Jackson but I'm going by Jackson... you can carry on calling me Carter, Sir. I know it'll be tough."

He replied, just as Cammie scolded him for using the wrong colour, "Ah yeah... I've always called you Carter... No offence Daniel, but it'd be weird... Oh Cammie, I'm sorry - you wanted blue? This _is_ blue... why didn't you just say 'dark blue'!? Yeesh, you sound like your Daddy already."

As Sam and Teal'c looked, amused, at Daniel, the Archaeologist rolled his eyes and said, "Jaack, I'm not a chauvinist..."

"You're not a _what_ now?"

Jack then looked down at Cammie and said, "Hey, do you think we can beat your Uncle Teal'c and James?"

Cammie looked thoughtful for a moment before she nodded, looking challengingly at their rivals. Teal'c raised an eyebrow and said,

"CameronCarterJackson and O'Neill, JamesCarterJackson and myself will surely triumph."

"Race ya."

"Indeed."

Jack poked his tongue out, much to Sam and Daniel's amusement, and as Teal'c stopped James from climbing straight over his head with one hand, he said, deadpan, "O'Neill and myself intended to visit you yesterday for the purpose of an old team gathering, but due to unforeseen events, we had to postpone."

The Jacksons' faces flamed, and Jack remarked, smiling smugly, "We were just guessing - now we got proof. Nice thing you got a detached house..."

As Sam looked down in embarrassment, Daniel retorted, still red, "Shut up Jack."

Jack continued smiling teasingly at them, and Sam, changing the subject, asked, "So, um, how's Vala?"

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked up across at Teal'c, who said, almost failing in stopping James from falling over his head, "ValaMalDoran emerged from her quarters with a smile upon her face. Shortly prior to that occurrence, ColonelMitchell was seen emerging from the same location. That explains everything."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, and Jack remarked, "No it doesn't T - she could have been looking for that War and Peace, and he just helped her..."

The adults shot him raised eyebrows, Daniel saying, "Riiight..."

Teal'c said, his eyebrow raised and earning amused looks from the adults, and a giggle from James, "Perhaps ValaMalDoran read Tolstoy prior to going to sleep. I have heard many stories about his sleep-inducing properties..."


	84. The Night Before

The night before their wedding day, the day that the Jacksons now allowed themselves to look forward to, Sam and Daniel sat on their front steps, Vala between them as Jack leant on a railing behind them, Teal'c standing straight and ever stoic behind his friends. Vala said with a sigh as she leant her head on Sam's shoulder,

"You didn't have to cancel your various parties because of me..."

Sam smiled slightly, and Daniel said, hitching his glasses up, "It's fine. We wanted a quiet night in anyway after everything that's happened."

As Jack snorted with laughter, only Teal'c raising an eyebrow at him as the others ignored him, Sam added with a fond smile, "And besides, we have most of the family under the roof."

All five friends smiled, and Teal'c said, "There is little purpose in a hen or stag party as they mark the end of singlehood, and ColonelCarter and DanielJackson are married already."

Jack remarked, "Damn, and we had such a great stripper lined up... oh well..."

This resulted in Sam raising an eyebrow at him challengingly, Daniel glaring at him, Vala looking increasingly intrigued, and Teal'c's eyebrow raising once again.

"Ah, well, it's for the best - Carter would kick your ass from here to Orilla."

Sam remarked, her expression unchanging as she looked up at the General, "_Carter_ would ensure that the ringleader of said party would be castrated slowly and without anaesthetic... Sir."

Daniel grimaced before looking up at his friend, his expression innocent as Teal'c and Vala looked amused, and Jack said with practiced nonchalance, "Poor ringleader..."

Vala smiled, and then said with a wistful expression, "I'm yet to experience the wonders of such parties."

Jack said, raising a finger, "_Party_. You're only supposed to go to the Hen one."

Vala nodded, looking just shy of brandishing a writing pad, and Daniel said, smiling slightly at Sam over the dark-haired woman's hair, "You'll get your chance."

Teal'c said, "I have received many matrimonial invitations from personnel that I am not acquainted with for educational purposes. ColonelPierce was most insistent on one occasion that I attend his sister's wedding, but I unexpectedly developed a rare strain of influenza..."

He smirked slightly as the three of the steps exchanged confused glances, trying to remember a time when Teal'c contracted 'flu and failing. Jack, having caught the smile and knowing well that Teal'c rarely got ill without alien involvement, remarked with a smile, patting the Jaffa on the shoulder,

"I'm so proud. T's learnt how to get out of things he doesn't want to do..."

The three on the step then each smiled, and Sam said, glancing back at Teal'c over Vala's head, and said, "Wow, I would've thought that you would've jumped at the chance."

"I did not. It was not long after attending the weddings of SG-12."

Daniel, confused, asked, "They got married at the same time?"

Sam closed her eyes briefly in memory of the year he had missed, Jack suddenly finding the grain of wood of the railing highly interesting as Teal'c stood ever stoic, yet internally nostalgic, and she replied quietly, "Around the same time. It was a wedding per week in June 2003 - Gonzalez, Arapiko, Lewis and Bellingthorpe."

Sam's gaze fell to her lap, her lips pressed together in a firm line as she tried to collect herself, and Daniel, feeling out of sorts as he always had when told of events that had happened during that year, looked at his wife in concern, saying, "Sam?"

She shook her head, and Vala looked at her, knowing through Cam that that year had taken its toll on not only Sam but the team too, and she said, "Samantha, it's in the past now. He's here."

Sam nodded and looked back at her briefly, saying with a small smile, "I know."

She then met Daniel's worried gaze, her firm expression softening, and Jack remarked, "Well, that's a 'no' to running away then, eh, Dannyboy?"

Sam smiled slightly, not feeling up to glaring at her superior office, and Daniel retorted, looking up at his friend with raised eyebrows, "It's a no anyway, Jack."

Before more could be said, Cam emerged onto the porch through the open front door, saying softly as he looked at all of his friends, "Hey."

They each greeted him, turning to look at him. He stood next to Teal'c, leaning against the railing, and Jack remarked, "Did you kill Jonas and hide the evidence?"

Cam replied with a brief smile as each of his friends looked at the General in varying levels of disbelief, "No Sir... the twins woke up crying and he's singing to them. He's got a nice voice."

Sam and Daniel instantly looked worried, the former asking as she looked up at the Colonel, "Are they ok?"

Cam said, "They only woke up. They're not hungry though but you guys fed them a couple of hours ago. It's fine - Jonas' got it covered."

Sam, still worried and following an indefinable instinct, got up as Vala straightened up, and said as she walked into the house, "I'll go and see them..."

Cam shrugged and took her place next to Vala, holding the dark-haired woman's hand as she smiled slightly at him, her posture straight. Jack raised his eyebrows at Sam's departure, and Teal'c said,

"ColonelCarter is perhaps following a maternal instinct."

Daniel made to get up, and Jack remarked, "Daniel, if Jonas tries anything, Carter would break his legs and burn his family jewels while they're still attached."

Daniel continued getting up, looking worried as he retorted, going indoors, "I'm sure she would, but Jonas isn't that kind of a man."


	85. Welcome to Parenthood

As Daniel ascended the stairs, still worried, he heard Sam call, "Daniel?"

"Yep?"

She asked, sounding increasingly worried, "Can you come up a second?"

"Already doing that..."

He entered the twins' room and found, much to his surprise and dread, each of the twins whimpering weakly in their cribs, Jonas mopping Cammie's sweaty forehead with a damp washcloth as Sam did the same for James, the Colonel looking very close to tears. As Sam looked up, Jonas said to Daniel, looking worried,

"They woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep... I felt their heads and they're, ah, burning up. I don't know what it is although it looks like a fever."

Sam added, looking bereft, her voice wavering with unshed tears, "They're sick."

Daniel felt his chest grow heavy as he watched his children in obvious discomfort, and he left, returning a few moments later with two cups of water. He handed one each to Jonas and Sam, each of them feeding their charges, or attempted to in the case of the former. Daniel leant over Cammie's crib before saying, glancing over at Sam,

"I think we should strip them down - it could help."

They held each other's gaze a little longer, a thousand words passing between them in that short time, words of worry, of reassurance, and of the unmentionable. They then went about stripping the twins down to their nappies, each of them checking the contents, which made them grimace. Sam said, suppressed panic evident in her voice,

"Daniel, James has got Diarrhoea."

"Cammie too."

They went about changing nappies, and he grabbed the phone as he cradled his daughter in his arms, attempting to feed her water.

"Hi Carolyn, sorry to bother you at this time... It's the twins - they're both burning up and have Diarrhoea. It's taking a lot of effort to get Cammie to drink water... Sam's having little success with James. Uh-huh... Ok... Yes, we've stripped them down, changed their nappies and now are trying to get them to drink. They were fine a couple of hours ago. They woke up for their nightly feeding... Ok, thanks... Thank you so much. Ok... bye."

He disconnected, kissing Cammie on the forehead as he gently coaxed her to drink, and he said quickly to a worried Sam and Jonas, "Carolyn's coming in ten minutes. She said to keep them cool and hydrated."

Sam closed her eyes, exhaling in partial relief, and Jonas asked, "Do you want me to wait out front?"

"You can if you want but everyone else is there... and she knows the address."

Neither missed the urgent quality to Jonas' question, and in other circumstances, they would have smiled. Jonas left, going downstairs, and Daniel, a whimpering Cammie in his arms, approached his wife, holding James in her arms. He gazed down at the boy, feeling his forehead and he said, his voice breaking,

"Junior."

Sam closed her eyes in a vain attempt to hold back her tears, and she held onto Daniel with one arm, burying her face in his shoulder as he kissed her forehead. She whispered,

"Oh God Daniel, what are we going to do?"

He gazed down at her and their children, and he said with no hesitation, "We cancel. We can't go through with it without the little people who started us out on this path. I'll ring everyone after Carolyn comes."

"You know that's not what I meant."

Tears in his own eyes as she straightened up, both of them going back to coaxing the twins to drink, and he replied in a vulnerable voice, "I don't know. I just feel helpless. They're sick and..."

She nodded in understanding, tears running down her cheeks, and then they gazed down at their children, their foreheads resting against each other. Jack clearing his throat in the doorway separated them. They straightened up, turning around to see Jack, Teal'c and Cam in the doorway, the former saying,

"Jonas mentioned something about the twins being sick and I zoned out... What's going on?"

Daniel, his voice involuntarily breaking, replied as he glanced from Cammie to James and back again, "They're sick, Jack. They're burning up. I don't know what to do... We called Carolyn and she told us to keep them cool and watered..."

Jack, having noticed the twins' condition, strode into the room, followed by Teal'c and Cam, and he felt James' forehead. Taking the little boy from a now distraught Sam, he asked, looking at Cammie as he felt her forehead too,

"Have they up-chucked?"

The Jacksons shook their heads, and Jack said, "It's a good thing if they do - it could bring that temperature down."

He continued, his eyebrows raised, "Welcome to parenthood, you two. They're gonna keep on scaring the hell out of you."

Cam remarked, smiling briefly, "My nieces and nephews regularly scare the hell out of my sisters... Oh, and apparently us Mitchell kids caused more than our fair share of panic attacks."

Teal'c said, his expression nostalgic, "Ry'ac caused Drey'auc and myself great worry and concern during his formative years."

Jack remarked, "And now look at him - he's married and hanging with Teal'c's on-off girlfriend and her padwan. These two are going to be fine. Scary but fine. And besides, you'll never stop worrying about them."

As Cammie drifted off on Daniel's shoulder, the Archaeologist reaching over to stroke his son's cheek, Sam said quietly, her voice shaky, "I suppose it's part and parcel of being parents."

Carolyn appeared soon afterwards, trailed by Jonas and a concerned looking Vala, and Sam said, "Thank God."

They each set the twins down in their cribs, and the Medical Doctor proceeded to examine them as Sam and Daniel watched, holding onto each other in support, SG-1 and Jack behind them nearer the doorway, watching too. When Carolyn finished, having fed the children some medicine, she said, turning to the scientists,

"It looks like fever although the sudden onset has me concerned. For tonight, keep this room well-ventilated and don't put any clothes on them until they cool down. Keep them watered too. It's a good thing if they vomit so don't worry. It'll bring the fever down. I've given them some children's Tylenol which should help the wheezing. If they're not better by the morning, then you'll have to bring them up to the mountain so I can do proper tests on them and maybe prescribe Antibiotics."

Sam asked, Daniel's arm around her, "Will they be ok?"

Carolyn replied, "I think so. It looks like regular fever."

The Jacksons exchanged worried glances, and Sam said quietly, "We're cancelling - we can't go through tomorrow without them."

Daniel nodded, and he said to Carolyn, "Thank you so much, Carolyn."

Carolyn replied, smiling slightly as she put her medical paraphernalia back into her bag, "No problem - I'd do anything for these two."

She looked at Sam and then Daniel, asking, "As for you two... you're going to need some sleep..."

When Sam made to object, she raised an eyebrow and continued, "No arguing, Sam - you're going to be no help to your children if you're dead on your feet. Take shifts - I'm assuming the rest of the team's staying the night?"

Jack and the rest of SG-1 each nodded and/or acquiesced in various ways, Jack fighting back a rude comment.

"Right, you can take shifts so you all can sleep. No all-night vigils - I'll know."

Jack smiled appreciatively at the Doctor, and, after the farewells and some more medical threats, Jack said, his eyebrows raised, "I like her."

Glancing around at his friends, he clapped his hands and said, "Right, you heard the lady - shifts. Older Dads have first watch. T?"


	86. Welcome to Parenthood Part II

SG-1 and Jack took turns watching over the twins, the turns overlapping and not following any discernable shift pattern. Between turns, the other males of SG-1 and Jack lay in their spare room, Sam and Daniel lying in their room with Vala behind Sam. No-one could sleep very well due to the worry, and on one of the turns, with Daniel and Jack present, the twins finally vomited, their temperatures subsequently lowering.

Jack asked as the two men cleared up, "You still gonna cancel?"

Daniel replied as he washed James' face with a damp washcloth, coaxing him to drink water, "We have to, Jack. If it wasn't for these two, we probably wouldn't have crossed that line that led us here. Despite the horrific circumstances, it resulted in two very good outcomes..."

Jack smiled in remembrance, saying as he fondly watched Daniel hold James to his shoulder, "Yeah, although... I imagine if you could, you'd change that first time of yours."

Gazing down at James, Daniel replied, pensive, "I don't know. I mean, yes, it was painful and left us with bruises and more than physical scars, but..."

He met Jack's gaze and continued, "Sam and I have talked about this before. Twins don't run in either of our families. Granted, these two aren't twins but they're close. We wouldn't have James... or if we had James, we wouldn't have Cammie. I can't imagine not having either or even both of them now."

"I hear ya. I like being Uncle Jack."

Daniel smiled briefly and asked, "Did Charlie scare you like this?"

Jack froze for a moment before the wall that he had built around his heart crumbled a little, knowing that Daniel wouldn't scorn him or make fun, and he said, wistful, "Oh, don't you know it. That little man had febrile convulsions... they went by the time he was six, but he freaked us both out all the same. One minute he was babbling about Transformers or the Mask, and the next, he was on the floor, his sweat crystallising. And if that wasn't enough, he choked on a piece of apple when he was three, he lodged half a crayon up his nose when he was four -- powder blue if I'm not mistaken, top half... he lodged the wheel from a toy car in his ear when he was five, got scarlet fever when he was five as well, got measles when he was six, got chickenpox when he was six and a half, drank paint when he was seven, crashed his bike when he was seven and three quarters and broke his leg... We were on first name basis with most of the ER staff."

Daniel remarked, smiling slightly, his expression strained, "I sure as heck hope that these two don't get into that many scrapes."

"Ah Dannyboy, they're all part of growing up. It's normal."

Daniel shrugged and remarked, "I didn't have a normal childhood... what do I know?"

Jack smiled a little, replying as he smoothed Cammie's hair, "You tell Carter I'm being soft and I'll kill you... You're a great father. I look at you and I see myself. Mind you, I missed out a lot what with Black-Ops but what I did see, I cherish. You are amazing and these kids are lucky to have you around, you and Carter. It's normal to think you're not good enough, and let me tell you, that feeling won't go away. Suddenly you have this little life, of lives, and they depend on you for everything... later, they look up to you for food, money, rides, credit cards, morals... It's scary."

Sam's approach silenced the General, who busied himself with smoothing Cammie's forehead, and Sam asked quietly, "How are they?"

Daniel replied as she approached him, "They were sick... they're temperatures are down. We'll dress them when it goes down a bit more - they're still quite hot."

As she lifted a crying Cammie, gently soothing her, she leant her head on Daniel's shoulder and he said, his voice gentle, "You should get some sleep, Sam. Jack and I have got everything."

Jack added, "Well, i I've /i got everything - both of you need to sleep."

Daniel shot the General a look, and Sam replied, shaking her head as Daniel slipped an arm around her waist, "No, I can't. I'd rather be here instead of staring into the dark."

Daniel tenderly kissed her on the forehead as they both set the twins down in their cribs, the two of them along with Jack holding onto the railings as they watched over the restless children. Teal'c soon joined them, asking,

"What has transpired?"

Jack gave him a quick low-down, and the Jaffa said, "This is indeed a development. They will recover."

Sam replied, looking sad, "I hope so, Teal'c."

The four members of classic SG-1 stood over the twins, Jack and Daniel with an arm each around Sam, and Teal'c with his arms around all of them in a touching expression of support and solidarity as the four warriors watched for any change in the condition of the children.


	87. Nintendos

Daniel opened his eyes and squinted, finding himself sat against the wall adjacent to the door in the twins' room. The sudden influx of light through the open drapes caused his squint, and when his eyes eventually adjusted to the light, he looked at the cribs only to see them empty. He was about to get up when the door moved a little and Jack's head appeared.

"Daniel, you awake?"

Daniel nodded and began, looking up at the older man, "Jack, where..."

Jack cut him off with a little smile tinged with affection and smugness, "Downstairs. Uncle Mitchell's cooking up a storm for them and Carolyn's dropped in along with my little clone and a bunch of other peeps. Those kids of yours are looking a lot better."

Daniel, still looking worried, asked as he stretched a little, his head resting against the wall again, "Are they eating?"

"Oh yes, and babbling non-stop... you know, they're a lot like you..."

Daniel rolled his eyes, and Jack looked past him, returning his gaze to him and saying before his head disappeared, "You know, that's gotta be as painful as it looks... You'll be aching some if you stay there any longer. Get yourself and Carter up... you've got a wedding to get to and even the combined forces of SG-1, Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack Mark II, my hungry god-kids, and some guests can't eat everything Mitchell's rustling up. Maybe if we get Uncle George here..."

Daniel closed his eyes and then exhaled, partly in frustration at Jack, and partly in relief, the latter being a particularly large 'partly'. He then looked down at Sam curled up against his right side, his arm around her, and he smiled. He tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, whispering her name as his fingers moved to her jaw.

She made a humming noise as she instinctively made to snuggle up to him, and he chuckled softly. He continued to run his fingers through her hair, and her eyes eventually flickered open, her lips forming a drowsy smile. He leant down to kiss her and she stretched as she got up, and then froze on seeing the cribs empty. Sensing this, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered,

"They're fine, Sam. Jack said that they're eating and that they're looking a lot better. Apparently Mitchell's cooking."

She relaxed in his hold and leant back so that the back of her head was resting against his shoulder as she sat in between his legs. She closed her eyes and said quietly,

"Oh God, I was so scared last night... those two really do take after you in the worry stakes."

He smiled against her neck as he gently trailed kisses along her skin, and he whispered, "If they do take after me, then they'll be streaking strange planets and Jack's office."

She chuckled softly and released a breath that she hadn't realised that she had been holding. After taking a moment to savour each other's presence, he whispered as he kissed her ear,

"Come on, Sam. Let's get showered and dressed -- I have it on good authority that we're going to have an audience. Jack wouldn't say who our guests are..."

She smiled, her eyes still closed and she remarked, "Typical General O'Neill... it's probably going to be someone we're not expecting... like Uncle George."

He frowned slightly and said, "Uh Sam, we're expecting him..."

"Not this early... He's staying in VIP quarters on base."

"Ah... I knew that."

She smiled and turned around so that she was sitting on his lap, and she kissed him gently. They smiled as they parted, and she remarked,

"Better keep the arsenal for later otherwise that Archaeologist I know is going to be embarrassed."

His smile grew wider as he traced her lips with his fingers, and she said, remembering the day that she met him, "We won't have to cancel, will we?"

"Jack seems to think that the wedding's a dead cert and how many times is he wrong... apart from saying that Nintendos pass through everything... and a whole bunch of other stuff?"

She laughed out loud and remarked, lightly punching him in the upper arm, "Oh Daniel, you've never had PMT."

He raised his eyebrows in mirth and asked in a teasing voice, "So... how many Nintendos have you thrown to test that theory out?"

She murmured against his lips before proceeding to engulf them both in a PG-14 kiss, "A few... They don't pass through stone or concrete though... N64s have a lot more parts, and don't get me started about GameCubes..."


	88. Morning

After getting ready, involving some spur-of-the-moment friskiness, Sam and Daniel came downstairs, feeling anxious at their children's condition. Quickly making their way through the lounge, they hadn't noticed anyone, focussed on their end destination as they were. They instantly grinned on seeing Cammie sitting in Jack's lap and giggling as she was bounced, and an ever cheerful James playing with wooden blocks with Teal'c and Vala. The twins were swooped up by their parents, much to their audience's amusement, and as Sam held James who proceeded to play with her hair, she said, relieved as she looked at him and his sister in Daniel's arms,

"You two really had us worried."

She held the little boy close and chuckles briefly rippled through the assembled friends as he kissed her cheek. Daniel gazed down at Cammie, smiling as he said,

"How're you doing?"

Cammie smiled as she clung onto him, saying, "Daddy..." before proceeding to tell him a half-intelligible narrative about Uncle Jack telling her a story about dragons and princesses. Jack shrugged innocently, saying quietly by way of explanation as both Daniel and Sam looked at him, bemused,

"It was a dream she had..."

Daniel gazed down at his daughter and remarked as he affectionately touched the tip of her nose, "Uncle Jack's telling tall tales again, isn't he?"

"FUBAR."

"Cameron... you know you're not supposed to be saying that."

Cammie held onto him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder, and as Jack went for the innocent look, Sam said, smiling as she glanced at Jack, "Oh, we're going to have to teach her a new default word."

Daniel smiled back at her before spotting Carolyn leaning against a worktop talking to Jonas, and he said, still smiling, "Thank you, Carolyn."

Carolyn shook her head and replied with a dismissive gesture, "I didn't do anything. You guys were already there."

Sam said as they swapped twins, "Oh, you did plenty. We've been through hell and back these past twelve years, but this knocked us sideways. Thank you."

When Carolyn made to object once again, Sam shook her head, continuing, "Nope, no matter what you say - we still owe you."

Carolyn eventually relaxed and Sam asked, glancing around the kitchen before looking through to the lounge, "Hey, where's Cam..."

She trailed off on seeing a very familiar face, spotted a moment later by Daniel, and the two of them rushed into the lounge to Cassie, who was perched on the armchair nearest to the window. The Hankan stood up and was almost swept off her feet by the Jacksons hugging her with their free arms, the twins playing with her hair. Sam, grinning, asked,

"Cassie! Wow, when did you get here?"

"Oh, about an hour ago at five... I swear, you guys round here are like party animals - I was all ready to use my key and Jack opened the door."

Daniel remarked, deadpan, "Yes, that's us alright..."

Sam retorted, amused, "Oh come on Daniel, we wouldn't be able to make it past two."

"Speak for yourself."

Both Sam and Cassie looked at the Archaeologist in disbelief, both subsequently noticing the twinkle in his eye, and Sam remarked with a grin to Cassie, "Daniel's the biggest party animal at the mountain."

Cassie retorted, an eyebrow raised, "Yeah right... the others must spend their nights knitting if that was true..."

Daniel raised his eyebrows briefly, smiling, and Cassie took James from him as the little boy grinned up at her. She gently kissed his nose and said,

"You little monkey... What have I told you about worrying your folks out of their minds? It's bad enough when your Daddy does that for fun."

Sam gazed at Daniel thoughtfully, before saying as she returned her attention to Cassie, the Hankan smiling at Cammie, who was still playing with her hair, "So... where's the guy I've heard so much and yet so little about?"

Daniel remarked, resulting in the Jacks snickering behind them, "Oh yes, we owe you the plastic couple."

Jack called, "Oh, you should have got a little more in that bargain, Cass..."

Mini-Jack added, "Yeah, like a car..."

Sam and Daniel looked at the two Jacks, amused as Cassie remarked, "Well, seeing as I already have a car... the plastic couple worked for me..."

Daniel nudged the Hankan and said, "So..."

Sam glanced at him and smiled, and Cassie said, smiling down at James, "I did bring him. He's outside with Cam..."

Remembering something, she quickly added as she looked up at Sam, "Oh, I forgot... Mark and Emmie are going to be a little late - we managed to fly out before the storm at LAX, but they had a later flight."

Sam nodded as the three of them made their way to the window, looking out to see a fair haired young man with his back to them as he bent over a car bonnet, Cam next to him. Daniel asked,

"What's his name?"

Cassie replied, feeling shy all of a sudden, "Simon Brookes. He's in most of my classes, and he's going to graduate this year too."

Sam smiled as she watched the two men through the grass, her and Daniel's smiles widening as they heard Teal'c telling jokes in the kitchen to their friends, and she said, glancing at the younger woman, "Whoa, he is cute."

Daniel raised an eyebrow as he looked across at her, almost pouting, and she remarked in amusement as Cassie barely stifled a laugh, "Sheesh, Jackson, do you honestly think I'd run off with someone barely half my age?! You're stuck with me."

He, feigning thoughtfulness, retorted, "I can think of worse punishments..."

Raising an eyebrow at him briefly, she sighed and said, smiling slightly, "Funnily enough, so can I..."

Cassie, amused beyond measure, glanced at her two friends on either side of her as she swapped twins with Sam, and she remarked, "You're just like an old married couple already and you're not even married properly yet!"

Jack remarked from behind her, "That's because they are... an old married couple."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a mischievous glance, the latter remarking in a stage-whisper, "He would know."

"Hey! I'm only fourteen years older than you."

"Now Jack, did you miss out the Jurassic period again? Tsk, tsk... sixty-five million years..."

"Funny. This white hair's because of you."

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt..."

Both Sam and Cassie fought to retain their composures as they watched the two men, the twins watching too.

"Well, you would know that, being a geek."

"Yes Jack. I'm a geek and proud."

Sam, grinning, added, "Me too," earning a withering look from her superior officer, who muttered under his breath, "Traitor..."

Sam and Daniel exchanged an amused glance as Jack left the room for the kitchen, remarking, "Well, Teal'c's always happy to see me, and I hear he has cake..."

Sam called, "You might want to cut down Sir... you don't go on missions any more!"

"I'm still as trim as ever..."

Sam, Daniel and Cassie returned their attention to the window, and Daniel remarked, he and Sam with an arm each around the younger woman, Daniel holding Cammie in his other arm, "He is cute."

Sam and Cassie looked at him in bemusement, the former remarking, "Now he's cute!?"

"Well, you knocked me up, I knocked you up, so we're stuck with each other."

Sam shook her head slightly in disbelief, and said, grinning to Cassie, "So... you guys living together?"

Cassie promptly reddened, and Sam looked over towards Daniel, hiding her amusement as she remarked, "I think that's a yes."

Daniel replied, smiling slightly, "Or she's been taking storytelling lessons from Jack and is going to come out with something almost as ridiculous as when a squirrel hijacked his car, resulting in him coming to work late one morning, thus conveniently missing a briefing with Bill."

Mini-Jack, who had been leaning against the doorway behind them, having felt awkward in Jack's presence in the kitchen, remarked, "I could have done better than a squirrel hijacking... a coyote would have been interesting. I probably would have had to fake being maimed..."

Daniel smiled fondly at the younger man, saying, "Well, you're older self has a squirrel obsession. You might want to be careful about that... and those knees."

"Hey! I don't like the guy, but I feel for those knees. Poor man. Anyway, go back to embarrassing Cassie."

Sam and Daniel returned their attention to the even more embarrassed Hankan, looking at her meaningfully, and suddenly they both smiled. The latter said quietly,

"Well, so long as you're responsible. I'm not sure either of us are quite ready to be surrogate grandparents yet."

Cassie nodded, her head bowed, and Sam hugged her, whispering with a grin, "I remember when you didn't know what a swing was..."

Mini-Jack remarked, "Well, they don't have them in Toronto... or ice-cream, apparently..."

Sam ducked her head briefly, smiling slightly and glancing at mini-Jack as Daniel raised his eyebrows at the younger man, Cassie grinning and glad of the respite from her love life.

"... or apples, Lion King, Aladdin, Backstreet Boys... Meh, they're not missing much..."

Sam, smiling, glanced out of the window again and an urge resurfaced, this time not allowing itself to be suppressed. Daniel, sensing this, smiled in amusement as he looked at his wife, remarking,

"Oh, I knew it was going to happen... it must have been torture holding out this long."

As Cassie and mini-Jack looked on in varying degrees of confusion, Sam, readjusting James' position on her hip, retorted as she, distracted, walked past them in order to reach the front door, "Well, seeing as I've experienced torture on our manifold and multiform missions, oh yes."


	89. Wedding Morning Part I

Outside, Sam approached Cam and Simon, James to her hip. The younger man straightened up on sensing her approach, and Cam, looking up from what he was doing in the bonnet, an oil stain on his cheek, said with a grin,

"Hey Sam, how're you doing?"

"Not bad... Heard you cooked up a storm."

"Aw, it was nothing... it was great to see those two geniuses of yours looking like their normal selves again."

Sam smiled, and her gaze wandered to the tall, lean young man next to him, who looked a tad awkward. Smiling, she offered her hand as she said,

"Hey, you must be the infamous Simon Brookes. I've heard so much about you."

Simon took her hand as he replied with polite embarrassment in a way that strongly reminded her of Daniel, "You have? Oh right. Um, you must be Colonel Jackson... Cassie talks a lot about you."

Sam smiled and Cam put an arm around the younger man's shoulders, saying, "He's quite the little mechanic. If he jacked in the science, he'd make a killing souping up rides."

Sam said to Simon, patting him on the shoulder, "Come on, call me Sam. 'Colonel' makes me feel old."

Simon nodded, murmuring an apology, and Sam looked into the engine in front of her. She narrowed her eyes for a moment and was about to say something when Cam, knowing exactly what was to come, wordlessly handed her a screwdriver, much to Simon's surprise. In exchange for the screwdriver, Sam gave James to Cam, the little boy grinning as he said,

"Uncle Mitchell..."

Sam rolled her eyes as she began to work on the engine, Cam and Simon watching her, and she remarked, "Figures he'd take after his Daddy in more ways than one... as if the scaring wasn't bad enough..."

After some more fiddling with the engine, she looked up at Cam and said, "Try it now."

Still holding James, he sat in the driving seat, switching the engine on, and the three adults listened to the engine note. Sam smiled proudly, saying as Cam switched the engine off,

"First time's a charm..."

She handed the screwdriver back to the southern Colonel, and he handed a still beaming James back. She reached behind him into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a rag to wipe the oil stain from his cheek, remarking,

"I'm sure Vala would do that but she's tied up in the kitchen... the rest of the team and the General are having a competition with the twins' blocks again..."

Cam smiled, and Simon asked, awed at her mechanical skills, "Do you know a lot about cars?"

As Cam tried not to smile too much, Sam replied with a shrug, "Oh, I work on them when I get a chance... Do you like bikes?"

He nodded and replied, "I have a Honda X-8 back home."

His eyes lit up when she said, glancing at a proudly smiling Cam, "I've got a vintage Harley in the garage - do you want to see it?"

Simon, amazed, nodded, and she, amused, turned to approach the front door, finding Daniel with Cammie in his arms, standing next to Cassie. The Archaeologist remarked, amusement running beneath the surface as he reached into the pocket of his jeans for the garage door opener,

"Just as well that I can read you like a book."

Sam retorted with a grin as she handed James over to Cassie, Daniel handing her the remote, "Just as well that you can."

She then said to Cassie quietly, "He's so cool!"

"I hope you're talking about me..."

Sam folded her arms across her chest and looked at him, an eyebrow raised as Cassie grinned, and she shook her head slightly, sauntering off to the garage with Simon and an amused Cam in tow. Opening the garage and stepping in, Sam said, glancing at Simon,

"Ah, that man standing next to Cassie is my husband, Daniel, holding our daughter Cameron. The little boy is our son James. We're still trying to work out where the cheerfulness is from."

As Sam uncovered her bike from under a tarpaulin, Simon, surprised, asked, "That was your husband? He doesn't look like a geek... uh, sorry. It's just that Cassie mentioned that he's a cultural expert, linguist and diplomat working for the government... I was expecting a Henry Kissinger type... No offence."

As Cam snorted with laughter, Sam replied, amused as she shared a little look with her second-in-command, "None taken... He gets that a lot. He has to keep himself in shape because of the travel. My team find themselves in some pretty gnarly environments."

"Ah..."


	90. Wedding Morning Part II

Later that morning, Sam was sat on the end of her bed in her wedding gown, the creamy crushed silk of the dress flowing resplendently around her and spilling down to the ground. With Cassie and Vala flanking her, and Sara, Mark's wife Emmie, and Carolyn standing around the room, Sam smiled slightly, overcome with emotion as she looked at herself in the long mirror in front of her, her mid-length fair hair curling gently as it bathed her bare shoulders,

"Despite us being married already, I'm still nervous."

Sara remarked as Cassie hugged the bride, "Honey, he's not going to run. You've got Murray, Jack, Jonas, Jack's long-lost nephew and Colonel Mitchell down there... he'll be flattened before he gets within metres of the door."

Emmie, a middle-aged woman with plum coloured mid-length hair, added, "Don't forget Mark - he used to play football at Berkeley."

"Oh, Jack played football too... left-back?"

"Centre-forward."

"Ah... Do you think Murray's played football?"

"Either way, he'd floor Daniel and..."

Sam looked increasingly bemused at the discussion, and shot Vala a little look when the dark-haired woman said, "Well, Jack's posted T... uh, Murray at the backdoor and Cameron and Jonas at the front door."

Before Cassie could add her comment into the mix, Sam looking ready to fly out of the window, Carolyn said, stepping forward, "Come on guys, enough with the running talk - they're already married and have kids... and he's not that type of guy."

Emmie, smirking, glanced at Sara, who said with a shrug, "It's always the quiet ones."

Sam rolled her eyes, superior officer's girlfriend or not, she was about say something when there was a knock at the door, and Cam's disembodied voice called, "You girls decent?"

Before anyone else could reply, Vala called, earning little reproving looks from the others, "We're all absolutely naked."

The door opened slightly, the Colonel peeking in and then opening the door completely to reveal that he was dressed in dress blues, his cap under his arm, Jonas behind him. As all the women present, except for Sam and Vala, practically drooled at the sight, Cam remarked as Jonas moved to stand closer to Carolyn,

"Phew, for a moment there..."

Sam retorted, hand on hip yet smiling, "So you thought you'd check?"

He shrugged and then looked at Sam properly. He said as he and Jonas looked at her, awed, "Aw Sam... you're beautiful... I'll break Jackson's legs if he does a Julia Roberts."

As Sara and Emmie snickered at the Runaway Bride reference, Vala looking confused as Carolyn shot the Colonel a deathly glare, Jonas added, "Me too. You look... amazing."

Sam shook her head slightly and pulled Cam into a hug, murmuring into his shoulder, "Thanks."

Glancing down at her, he asked, "You're not nervous, are you? I did mean what I said. I've got all available exits covered... although Jackson's wearing running shoes and you gotta admit that he's pretty quick. We've got extra men on the windows too..."

She playfully swatted him and asked, straightening up as she looked at him, "What's happening out there?"

"Ah, well, your Uncle George is here... General O'Neill's corrupting the young after a spat with l'il Jack..."

Sara, looking worried as she thought of Jack's unique brand of humour, said as she made to leave the room, "Crap, I'll go save the Carter kids."

Emmie added, suddenly looking increasingly worried as she almost ran after her, "Thanks... I'll help you."

"... Murray's watching Jackson's movements, and the twins are entertaining us all with their unique renditions of Jimmy Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner while building the Great Pyramid on the kitchen table."

Cassie remarked, glancing at Vala, "That's not too different... Murray's always looking out for Daniel, and the twins are mostly always their cute, entertaining selves..."

"That's for sure."

He asked Sam as he knelt in front of her, the Astrophysicist having resumed her seat at the foot of the bed, "You going to be ok?"

Sam, looking a little strained, nodded after a beat, saying, "I will be."

Cassie, smiling, hugged her, saying, "Oh, you're going to be fine... this is Daniel we're talking about. He'll never treat you badly, and even if does, you'll kick his ass and so will everyone else... including a certain medical doctor's daughter..."

Sam smiled at Cassie, saying, "I'll keep that last one in mind..."

Everyone looked towards the door on hearing a knock to see Hammond in dress blues standing there. He stepped into the room and said, approaching Sam as Vala gave up her seat to the retired General, "Just as beautiful as your mother. I still remember the day your parents got married. I walked Grace down the aisle... I'll never forget that. Jacob couldn't stop smiling, and your mother had a face that could stop a man's heart."

The General still standing, Sam stood up, tearful, and pulled him into a hug, saying, "It's an honour to have you here, Uncle George."

Cam signalled for the others to leave the room, giving Sam and the General a private moment as Hammond replied with a fond smile, "The honour's all mine, Sam, believe me. Jacob and Grace would be so proud of you, knowing how far you have come and the things that you have done... not forgetting the wonderful man waiting for you downstairs. I really could not think of a better man for you, and neither could Jacob."

Surprised, Sam straightened up and asked, "Dad talked about Daniel in that way?"

Hammond nodded with a smile and replied, "He sure did. He always hoped that Daniel would be his son-in-law."

Choking on a sob, Sam whispered, horrified that she may have dishonoured her father's memory by not getting with Daniel sooner, "Oh God."

Hammond pulled her into his arms once again, saying quietly, "Sam, it's ok. Everything is going to be fine. The important thing is that you have found each other, and that you are happy. You are happy, aren't you?"

Sam nodded against his shoulder, replying, "Yes, more than I have ever been."

He smiled a fatherly smile as he continued holding her, and he said, "I am glad to hear it. He's a good man."

"I know... and we both know that that's an understatement."

"Oh, don't I know it..."

After a moment's silence, he asked in a gentle voice, "Are you ready?"

She nodded and straightened up, drying her eyes and silently thanking the inventor of waterproof mascara. He smiled at her, offering his arm. Smiling, she linked arms with him, kissing him on the cheek and said,

"Lead on Uncle George."

--------------------

Downstairs, Daniel, dressed in a tuxedo, waited nervously at the foot of the stairs, his fingers busy dismantling a pen. Jack said, glancing at the younger man and seeing a hint of himself,

"Relax Daniel, she's not going to run - her dress is going to get caught in the window..."

Daniel shot the older man a dirty look before leaning against a wall and saying quietly, "I keep thinking she's going to finally see sense and leave. I seriously don't see what she sees in me."

Smiling slightly at his characteristic self-doubting, Jack said, patting him on the shoulder, "Daniel, I'm going to shoot you if you tell Carter or anyone else that I said this. You're not ugly. For someone usually very observant, you're awfully oblivious to female attention. You should see the way Carolyn's nurses check you out, and the evil looks they shoot at Carter. You are one hot tamale... apparently."

Daniel, whose gaze had fallen to his feet, replied, "Thanks Jack, but even if that was true, Sam deserves much better than an emotionally unstable Archaeologist."

"I get the feeling that she feels the same about you."

Daniel sighed, and Jack remarked, "Well, if you bail, I'm sure that Captain Simmons is going to just enjoy taking your place, although Carter would get in trouble seeing as she outranks him by a mile and..."

"Jaaaack!"

Jack smiled at him and said, squeezing his shoulder, "You'll do just fine. If you want to know a secret, I had the runs on my wedding day. All my Special Forces and Black Ops training flew out of the window and I was scared out of my head. Of course, I was fine after we got past the screwing her name up bit, and she called me John instead of Jonathan. We had fun."

Daniel promptly blushed, and Jack remarked, "That is one dirty mind, Daniel..."

Jack glanced up and, seeing the bridal party ready to descend, cleared his throat and waved everyone over from the lounge. Everyone gathered in the doorway of the lounge and the hallway as Hammond and Sam began the slow descent towards them, Daniel's breath catching in his throat on seeing his radiant bride, mini-Jack's and Teal'c's arm around him.

When Sam was near the foot of the stairs, Cammie suddenly called out as James clapped, "Mommy's marrying a geek!"

Everyone laughed, directing pointed looks at Jack, including one snarky Archaeologist, and the General shrugged, saying innocently, "Blame Dora the Explorer."

Arriving at the foot of the stairs, a smiling Hammond put Sam's hand into Daniel's, saying, "Look after her, Daniel."

Daniel nodded and replied as his gaze moved to his wife, "Of course I will."

Sam gently kissed Hammond on the cheek, saying with a smile as he smiled back at her, "Thank you, Uncle George."

"Honour's all mine, Sam."

After Daniel had shaken Hammond's hand, Sara discreetly stamping on Jack's foot to stop him from shouting something crude, Mark said, looking meaningfully at Daniel, the elder Carter putting an affectionate arm around his Uncle George,

"You better treat her right 'cos, never mind us guys, but Sam is gonna kick your backside from here to Russia and back."

Daniel nodded, taking the threat very seriously as Mark patted him on the shoulder with a grin. The Archaeologist then gazed at his wife, resplendent as always. He wondered briefly whether Sam could wear anything from BDUs to civilian clothes that didn't make her glow so beautifully.

They smiled gently at each other, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed much to her suppressed mirth, Sara's foot clamping down on Jack's, the General, in turn, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out. One look at Daniel told her that he had seen it too. Smiling slightly, his fingers gently caressed her cheek before he gently leant down to kiss her, her free arm looping around his neck as she returned the gesture, both of them trying hard to ignore the cheers and mostly suppressed catcalls during the brief gesture.

Parting, they both ducked their heads as their smiles grew, and he looked up, asking, "Are you ready, Samantha?"

Gently pressing her lips together to stop herself from grinning outright, she nodded and replied, glancing down at her beautiful bouquet, "Yes."

His smile growing, he turned to his left and offered her his right arm as mini-Jack called out something crude much to Jack's evident pride, and when she had looped her left arm through his, a smiling Teal'c opened the front door and the happy couple led the bridal procession out of the house into the warm spring sunshine, surrounded by everyone that they loved and cared about.


	91. Wedding

At a gazebo at a local park, surrounded by breathtaking views of Colorado, Sam and Daniel, holding hands, recited their vows in front of their friends and family. Married, they kissed a kiss that contained a promise of more as their friends, children, and the Carter kids let out a loud ripple of cheering and applause. Jack called out,

"Keep it clean, you've got your kids and your nieces and nephews present!"

Daniel, overwhelmingly happy, caressed Sam's cheek and remarked in a whisper, "I suppose that makes me Uncle Daniel to Mark's children then."

She hugged him, her wide smile mirroring his, and she replied, "You've been Uncle Daniel for... ooh, three months now."

"Ah yes, but that was military-secret-hoo-hah Uncle Daniel... now I'm normal Uncle Daniel."

She laughed, and Jack, almost rolling his eyes, put his arms around both of them and said with a grin threatening to split his face, "Come on kids, mingle now - flirt later... uh, after the eating..."

Sam was about to mention her bouquet when Cassie, wearing a rosé hued dress as she held onto a suit-wearing Simon's arm, called out, "Sam! Don't forget your bouquet!"

As Vala, Jonas and Teal'c looked on intrigued and curious, Mark's teenaged daughter rolling her eyes as did Carolyn, Jack rolled his eyes and mini-Jack remarked,

"Come on, it's a bunch of flowers..."

This remark was rewarded with a smirk from his original self and icy looks from Sara, Emmie and Cassie, Sam's eyes twinkling with mirth as she looked at an amused Daniel. Teal'c said,

"The tradition of the bouquet toss is an established tradition within the American matrimonial ceremony. As DanielJackson is too embarrassed to throw the garter of ColonelCarter..."

Daniel blushed as everyone else looked amused.

"... I am led to believe that this tradition cannot be omitted."

Cam, grinning, patted him on the back and looked meaningfully at mini-Jack, saying, "See? Our Murray man knows what he's talking about."

Mini-Jack rolled his eyes, and Sam, smiling a knowing smile at Cassie, turned around and tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, her aim true and straight. She was rewarded with the sound of Cassie squealing, everyone else except for Teal'c laughing, and Vala calling out, much to Jonas' amusement,

"Oh, that was rigged. I mean, it had to be... there are three, four if you count Mrs-soon-to-be-or-otherwise-O'Neill, completely single women here, and the youngest out of us got it."

Cam looked a little hurt at Vala's words but he tried hard to not show it, Simon visibly embarrassed by what most of everyone's little looks were implying, and Jack said, his arm around Hammond as Sara raised an eyebrow at her ex-husband, "A'right folks, everyone move out to the dining area. You can have a cat-fight after... rumour hath it that we've got some good vittles."

Cam snorted with laughter as the General led the way to open dining area, remarking, "You're from Minnesota, Sir."

"Bleh."

Sam and Daniel, smiling at each other as the combined forces of Hammond, Cam, the Jacks and Sara proceeded to explain the vague etymology of the term 'vittles' to a confused Teal'c, Vala and Jonas, picked up their children. The Carter-Jacksons stood close together, barely aware of camera flashes as they had a little family moment, Jack just itching to drag them to eat but stopped by Sara and Teal'c. Sam and Daniel gently rubbed noses with each of their kids, the Archaeologist saying with a grin that wouldn't fade as he gazed at his wife,

"We're officially a family now."

Sam smiled back at him, saying, "We sure are."

Mindful of the children in their arms, she leant over to kiss him, whispering, "I love you, Daniel."

"And I love you, forever."

"Hmm, forever's good."

"Thought you'd like it. So..."

Her smile growing wider, she remarked, finishing his thought, "Let's roll before the General says something ruder?"

"Well, I was going to say something like before that snazzy looking Pavlova ferments... but yours is good."

She laughed and remarked as they walked, James leaning his head on her shoulder as he played with her necklace, "Oh, Jackson, I'm glad I chose you."

"I'm glad you did too."

--------------------

After some humorous, and admittedly Jack-conceived rude speeches, the wedding party began to eat, laughing and joking as they talked. Sam's gaze shifted to a set of swings someway off in the distance, on the other side of a fence from the party, and she smiled as she watched Cassie and Simon from behind, the two lovers sharing a gentle kiss. Smiling a smile tinged with wistfulness at Janet having missed this moment, she gently nudged Daniel. He glanced at her before following her gaze and she said quietly,

"They make a great pair."

As Teal'c, Vala, Jonas, Cam and the Jacks took turns to look, Daniel replied quietly, smiling, "Oh yes."

Vala remarked, "Well, if you two are any sort of a precedent, they're probably driving each other wild and..."

She was cut off by the combined forces of Mark, Daniel, the Jacks and Cam clearing their throats in embarrassment as Emmie shot her an icy glare, Sara looking amused as did the elder Carter kids until their mother's glare moved to them. Vala said with a shrug, glancing at the Carter children,

"Sorry."

Jack said, glancing at Sara, "Those two are geeks - they'll be fine."

This was rewarded by raised eyebrows and scowls from Sam, Daniel, Carolyn and Jonas. Mini-Jack added, smirking the same way as his original self,

"That's one heck of a f... freakin' understatement, Jack..."

"Ha, SNAFU in that respect."

Mark's youngest daughter, Ellie, took that opportunity to ask, tugging on her father's suit jacket sleeve, "Daddy, what does SNAFU mean?"

Mark and the others all looked pointedly at a now slightly flustered Jack, and Daniel said, clearing his throat, "Yes, Jack, tell us what SNAFU means."

As Sara fought hard not to smile, her head bowed, Emmie glared at the General who shrugged innocently and said, "It's a character on Sesame Street."

Ellie and her similarly aged brother, Jake, called out in unison, "Not it isn't!"

"It's a new character... very new."

The elder Carter kids smirked as did Sam and Carolyn, and Hammond said as Mark looked worried, "That's not the worst language I have heard by far..."

Hammond smiled fondly at the elder Carter, who now looked embarrassed as everyone turned to look at him, Sam smiling knowingly, and the old General continued, "A certain young man I once knew would come out with language that would even make Jack blush."

Mark cleared his throat in embarrassment as his two elder kids smiled in amusement, the boy, Junior, remarking as Jack did his best to look innocent, "Now you can't complain if we curse at home."

Mark made to say something but Emmie beat him to it with a steely glare at her son, "Your Dad with his disreputable military cursing may not be able to, but I can, young man!"

Mark's eldest daughter, Susan, laughed and asked, "Grandpa George, how bad was it?"

Hammond replied, "Now, now, Susan, I don't think your mother is going to appreciate elaboration... It was pretty bad."

Susan and a chastised Junior smiled teasingly at their father as did Sam. She felt a gentle nudging to her arm and she turned to Daniel, who whispered, holding his glass for her to have a look,

"Sam, I don't think this is grape juice... the Jacks keep looking at me funny and it smells a little strong."

Sam, frowning slightly in a similar manner to when she had a big intergalactic conundrum to solve, took the glass and sniffed it. She then took a sip and looked pointedly at the Jacks, who did their best to look innocent. Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Daniel and said,

"It isn't grape juice... well, it is... It's wine. I think our little jokers have done a little switch."

She looked back at a now smirking Jack and said, narrowing her eyes slightly as she reached over for a bottle of mineral water, "Very funny Sir. You know Daniel's sensitive to alcohol."

Jack, glancing at mini-Jack, remarked, "I know that... that's what made it so funny."

As Daniel raised an eyebrow at him, Vala said, "Oh yes, and if you get him drunk, you can take advantage of him and..."

She was interrupted by a sub-table nudge originating from one southern Colonel, so she turned to a somewhat wary Mark and Emmie, and their amused elder kids, and said, "I'm sorry... I usually don't think prior to making my innuendos."

Mark said, glancing at his wife, "Don't they have morals in Ontario?!"

Vala shrugged, remembering the cover story of her origins, and Sam heard the sound of whimpering. She turned behind her to where the younger Carter kids were playing with the Carter-Jackson twins to see Cammie standing in amongst them, rubbing her eyes and looking drawn. Sam stood and approached the little girl, kneeling on the concrete in front of her.

She smoothed her daughter's hair and asked, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Cammie replied, sounding tired, "Tired, Mommy."

Sam smiled briefly on seeing James running around like a lunatic with Jake and Ellie, and she picked the little girl up, saying as Cammie rested her head on her shoulder, "You did very well today, Cammie... I'm proud of you - you and your brother. Come on, let's go and shout at Uncle Jack for trying to get Daddy drunk."

As she turned back to the table, James came running up to her, saying as he tugged on her dress, breathless and flushed, "Mommy, pick me a'well."

Sam smoothed his crop of fair hair, and remarked, smiling affectionately, "Young man, it's going to be tough carrying both of you. Come on, let's go see Daddy."

Grinning, he took her hand and babbled a mile a minute as they made their way back to the table. Daniel looked up concerned at her as she returned, and she said, James clambering onto the bench and into his father's lap,

"Cammie's tired but James is like a little dynamo..."

Sam took her seat, gazing down at Cammie in her arms, the little girl's eyes flickering closed, and she gently brushed fair hair from her forehead, smiling tenderly. Daniel gently shushed James, whispering,

"Your sister's tired."

James grinned up at him before leaning his head on his father's shoulder, Daniel smiling slightly as he kissed the boy's forehead before gazing across at his wife.

Just then, as everyone smiled slightly at the closeness of the Carter-Jacksons, Jack especially, buzzing and beeping noises could be heard. Everyone turned to look at each military member of the party, Sam shrugging and saying, "No pockets."

Jack remarked as he brandished his pager, stopping the noise with a press of a button and casually checking out the message, "The only advantage of dress blues... pockets."

Sam smiled slightly, glancing at Daniel, and the General said, straightening up, "Ok folks, let's roll. There's some hoo-hah going down on base."

SG-1 exchanged feigned looks of surprise, the Carters looking panicked, and Sam, feigning reluctance, asked, "Do they really need us?"

"Sorry Carter. Computer glitches and classified whatnot."

Mark looked at his sister and said, "Well, the Air Force has spoken... go on Sam. We'll hold down the fort."

Sam glanced at Daniel who nodded, and said as everyone mobilised themselves, Cassie and Simon quickly joining them, "We'll take them to the Nursery..."

Mark, exchanging a look with Emmie, said, "We can look out for them. Go on and do your thing - they'll be safe."

Sam, inwardly panicking, said with practiced nonchalance, "Oh, the, uh, Sergeant in charge of the on-base Nursery is a very pushy lady."

Daniel nodded, hitching his glasses up as she glanced at him, "Very pushy."

As everyone made their way back to the Carter-Jackson residence, Cassie whispered to Sam when they were out of earshot from the Carters, Simon and Sara, "It's happening isn't it?"

Sam nodded and Cassie continued, "I wish I could go."

"I'm sorry... we couldn't get Simon clearance at such short notice. I promise, we'll get you on base to check out the video one day."

Cassie, smiling, quickly hugged her, and Cam remarked, feigning annoyance, "Mighty fine time for an emergency."

Teal'c retorted, an eyebrow disappearing under the brim of his hat, "Indeed, but such events have no concept of proper timing."


	92. Dressing Up

Sam and Daniel were in their room, getting dressed in civilian clothes, and still smiling. She leant over to kiss him, remarking,

"Well, at least I got to see you in a tuxedo..."

He retorted, amused as he pulled on a t-shirt, "If I didn't know any better, you only agreed to marry me so you could play dress up."

Snaking an arm around his neck, she kissed him, whispering against his lips, "And dress down..."

He placed his hands on her hips and said, reddening slightly at her remark, "You take my breath away already but today really had me. You are one incredibly beautiful woman, Samantha, inside and out."

Their foreheads pressed together, their arms around each other's waists, she whispered, smiling, "Not as beautiful as you are."

"Ah, that's not true."

She pulled back enough so that his face was in focus, and she said, frowning slightly and looking bemused, "Daniel, you are immensely beautiful. I really do mean it. If you saw yourself the way I see you, you would be amazed."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, and she hugged him, remarking as she ran her fingers through his hair, "Well, you'd probably have an ego the size of Connecticut in the rain so it's a good thing you don't see yourself the way I do."

He chuckled, asking in disbelief, "The size of Connecticut... in the rain?"

"Ah, I've been hanging with Cam a bit much."

He smiled as he kissed her neck, whispering, "We're married properly now..."

Sensing the hint of mischief in his voice, she laughed quietly, saying, "Oh, I'm looking forward to it."

"Hmm, me too... God, I love you, you do know that, don't you?"

She pulled back to gaze at him, holding his jaw in her hand as her thumb ran over his lips, and she smiled, saying, "I do. That's why I've been so happy, and I'm glad we're not hiding any more."

He whispered as he began to nuzzle her throat, "Me too, that was extremely annoying."

Her head rolled back as she moaned quietly, holding fistfuls of his t-shirt as she whispered back, "We've missed out on so much."

They groaned quietly in frustration, finding themselves with her back against the front of the wardrobe, their bodies flush against each other, on hearing a knock at the door and Jack's voice call, "You guys decent?"

Exchanging a panicked look, they straightened up, she straightening his glasses and he, her hair. She grabbed a sweater, pulling it on as she called, "Yes Sir."

Jack strode into the room, dressed in civilian clothes and remarked with a smirk, closing the door behind him, "Ah, I know what you were doing..."

They simultaneously blushed, and he continued, "Or maybe not seeing as your kids are present."

They glanced back at the Carter-Jackson twins stretched out on their bed behind them, fast asleep, and Daniel asked, returning his gaze to Jack, "So... how come you're not in dress blues?"

"Are you kidding me? Those things are painful. I'm starting to envy you Carter."

Smiling, Sam remarked, "Would that be because of not having to wear uniform, or because of Daniel?"

"Funny, Carter."

The General, his smile seldom leaving his face for the whole day, said in a hushed voice with a clap of his hands, "So... you kids know the whole story?"

Daniel glanced at Sam and said, "Uh, about it being time for our on-base party?"

Jack raised a finger and said, a satisfied smirk on his face, "Plus one guest of honour. Luckily I was in between mini-Jack and George at the time so..."

He paused and continued, his smile widening, "The President of the United States."

Sam and Daniel exchanged an amazed glance, and Sam asked, confused, "Sir? Did I hear you correctly?"

Rubbing his hands together, Jack replied, "Oh yeah, POTUS is in town and we're invited... well, you're invited anyway..."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a surprised look, smiling slightly, and Jack said, looking around the room, "So you kids done? We've got a couple of hours to play before our other folks get restless and funny... And that's not the good kind of funny, you know that."


	93. On Base

On-base, and dressed in evening dress, Sam and Daniel entered the gateroom, holding the hands of their now awake children, and followed by SG-1, the Jacks, Carolyn and Hammond. They were pleasantly surprised on seeing every single SGC personnel present, the military of which dressed in fatigues, as well as the Atlantis expedition, representatives from the IOA and NID, Ry'ac, Kar'yn, Teal'c's grandson, Ish'ta, Rak'nor, Bra'tac, Nesa, Neith, Warrick, Eamonn, Anise, Malek, Juseen, representatives of the Land of the Light, representatives of the each of the three nations of Langara, Lya of the Nox, and so many more allies and friends of Earth that were made only through SG-1's first contact with each of them. Emmett Bregman and his two Marines discreetly mingled as part of the filming of a documentary should the programme ever be made public, to highlight not only the many, many friends that the SGC and Earth had made over the years, but also, more importantly, that wherever the darkness leads, the light of hope remains.

Jack remarked, feeling uneasy in his dress blues as he noticed the other SGC personnel, "Jeez, if someone had told me that I could have been in fatigues..."

SG-1, amazed, looked around the room at all of the guests, the twins shyly clinging to their parents. Just then an overwhelmingly happy Walter announced from the control room,

"Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson, ladies and gentleman and esteemed guests... the President of the United States."

The opposing door slid open to reveal Landry, in dress blues, walking with President Hayes, and followed by two Special Service agents in dark suits. Reynolds, the highest ranking officer on duty, apart from the two Generals, the third General being retired, called, standing to attention,

"Ten hut!"

Every military personnel present then proceeded to salute the President, a smattering of suppressed laughter generated by James' imitating his mother's salute. The President, smiling slightly, returned the salute and Reynolds called,

"At ease!"

The military personnel relaxed as much as was possible in front of their Commander-in-chief, who approached the Carter-Jacksons. Sam, smiling politely, shook his hand and said,

"It's an honour to have you here, Sir."

"Believe me, the honour is all mine, Colonel. I just couldn't resist coming here."

He turned to Daniel, shaking his hand as he said, "It's always a pleasure to see my favourite life-saving team, especially you two. Reading about you is fun, and a lot of the times, scary, but nowhere near as great as it is to see you."

Daniel joked, smiling slightly, "The same could be said of you, Mr President."

The President then knelt down to the toddlers' level, the twins shyly looking back at him. He, smiling, smoothed back Cammie's hair and said,

"It is definitely an honour to meet you, young lady. I expect you'll be working for the mountain if your parents are anything to go by."

Determining eventually that he was a good man, Cammie kissed him on the cheek as everyone else laughed politely, and he gently patted her head. He then turned to James and whispered as he gently stroked his cheek,

"And you, Jackson Junior, are a miracle."

--------------------

The party getting underway, SG-1 and the other newcomers mingled with the guests. Sam came across some of the Atlantis expedition, Elizabeth having found Carolyn, the two women talking animatedly as Ronon and Teyla talked to Bra'tac and Teal'c. McKay said, looking characteristically indignant,

"Congratulations, Sam."

Sam, smiling as she sensed correctly that the indignation was a mask, replied, "Thanks, McKay. How are you doing?"

"That's probably the worst question to ask since Socrates asked..."

She rolled her eyes and looked at Sheppard, who shrugged and said, "He's been getting worse just lately... I_ wonder_ why that is..."

McKay shot him an evil glare, and Sam asked the Colonel, "So Shep... you and Liz any closer?"

Sheppard, masking his embarrassment with nonchalance, remarked, "Look, Colonel Matchmaker..."

Sam smiled at him and said, sensing his inner turmoil, "Go for it."

Lorne patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go on, Sir. The worst she's going to say is..."

McKay butted in, saying, "Get away from me creep."

Lorne rolled his eyes and said, raising an eyebrow at the Physicist, "I _was_ going to say 'no', but that would be funny. I don't think the good Doctor's ever said the word 'creep'... it would be entertaining... maybe not Saturday Night Live entertaining..."

Sam chuckled just as James came running up to her, hugging her legs, and she picked him up. Glancing at the Atlantis personnel in front of her and then at the grinning little boy, she said,

"This, folks, is James Carter-Jackson... known by McKay as the Director of the Titanic."

McKay looked a touch annoyed at her teasing as everyone cooed over the boy, and they laughed when, in Radek's hold, James looked up at the Czech scientist, and said, beaming, "Daddy!"

Sam, looking suitably embarrassed, reddened as an amused Daniel approached, Radek saying, embarrassed too as he hitched up his glasses, murmuring in Czech, "I would not mind such a son."

Sam and Radek reddened further as Sheppard remarked, revelling in embarrassing Sam after she had embarrassed him, "Oh... I think we have so many things left unsaid here..."

Daniel, smiling knowingly at Sam, replied with a twinkle in his eyes, "Oh, I'll say."

Lorne said, bemused, "Oh come on, he's got Doctor Jackson's eyes... they're pretty darn distinctive."

Sheppard remarked, an eyebrow raised at Sam, "They could be contacts..."

"Contacts in a two year old, Sir? Isn't that dangerous?"

Receiving James from an amused McKay, Sam, looking over her shoulder to see where Elizabeth was, said, "Right, that's it, Shep, you want to play dirty? I've got your answer..."

Daniel, Radek, Lorne and McKay glanced at a suddenly apprehensive Sheppard, and Sam, holding James, made her way over to Elizabeth as the expedition leader began to approach her friends, much to Daniel's amusement. Sheppard covered his eyes with his hands and groaned, remarking as he peeked at Daniel,

"Jackson, your wife is insane."

Daniel replied with a shrug, "Maybe, but she knows a good thing when she sees it."

"Oh, so now you're on her side?! Traitor..."

Daniel said, raising his eyebrows briefly as Lorne smirked, "Well, she is my Commanding Officer..."

--------------------

Sam, under the watchful gazes of the four men that she had left, grinned as she handed James to a surprised Elizabeth, the Atlantis expedition leader eventually asking as she smiled fondly down at the ever cheerful boy, "How old is he?"

Sam replied, discreetly albeit briefly meeting Daniel's amused gaze half way across the room from them, "Oh, two years, a month and a day. Times flies by so fast..."

"It sure does. He is incredibly cute, just like his sister."

The two women glanced around until their gazes settled on Cam, Cammie in his arms, as he talked to Warrick, the girl eventually unafraid and naturally curious at seeing the Hebridian's reptilian appearance. Sam remarked, amused,

"See, that second-in-command of mine keeps trying to sell his own goddaughter... typical."

Elizabeth remarked, raising an eyebrow briefly as she smiled, "You get paid a lot more than we do."

The two women walked back to where Daniel was as Sam replied with a shrug, "Ah, well, it's never enough... apparently."

Suddenly Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, still some way away from the men, and she said as Sam looked at her, feigning innocence, "Colonel Carter-Jackson, I know exactly what's going on."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't try being all innocent. You're trying to fix me up with John... honestly."

Noting that Elizabeth wasn't really upset, Sam grinned, remarking, "You're not complaining, and you just called him 'John', instead of settling for 'Colonel Sheppard'."

"I despise you."

"I thought you would. He knows, by the way."

Dismayed, she exclaimed quietly, "What?!"

"Oh yes. It seems I've got a good eye... or I'm a raving lunatic."

"That, I'll agree with."

The two women resumed walking, Elizabeth handing James back to an amused Sam as they approached the men, the expedition leader and Sheppard looking increasingly awkward as all their friends but McKay smiled. Teyla came over and practically squealed on seeing James, and then Cammie as Cam approached, and Daniel raised his eyebrows briefly at Sam, who simply grinned back at him.


	94. Returns and Goodbyes

Sam, Daniel, the Jacks and the rest of SG-1 returned an hour later than scheduled that evening without Hammond, the retired General having got a flight back to D.C. from Peterson, and Sara met them at the door, remarking with feigned strictness as the Jacks fought not to smile, "And what time do you call this, kids?"

Sam said, glancing down at a sleeping Cammie in her arms, "Sorry... there was some pretty intense stuff going on, but we got it under control again."

"Well, whatever it is, you're on curfew until you get your late night habits sorted."

Jack remarked, "Oh come on Sara, you're a fine one to talk."

"More of that lip out of you young man, and you're going to bed without supper..."

SG-1, apart from Teal'c - Jaffas don't snicker, especially not former First Primes - snickered as they glanced at Jack, mini-Jack keeping his features neutral as he inwardly wished that he was the real McCoy so that his ex-and-perhaps-soon-to-be-or-otherwise-wife would joke with him and much more again.

After Sam and Daniel had put the twins to bed, the Carters and Sara announced their intentions to leave, as did Cassie and Simon, the latter two having spent the evening playing Monopoly with the elder Carter kids and laughing out loud. Daniel, dismayed especially at Cassie leaving, asked,

"Have you guys got enough time for coffee?"

--------------------

After a round of coffee, the departees made their leaving arrangements, hugging Sam and Daniel and saying their farewells. Jack, gently touching Sara's face in a rare display of emotion in public, asked,

"Can't you stay?"

"Uh-uh, big guy, my mother's coming over in the morning and..."

"Surely that's a reason to stay here?"

"I'm sorry, Jack. It was really, really nice seeing you again, and your certainly eclectic group of friends. Are you still coming to the Windy city in the summer?"

"If nothing else comes up."

As they kissed, Cam, Jonas and the elder Carter kids whooping, Sam and Daniel hugged Cassie, the former saying, "The minute you land, I want you to phone, ok?"

Cassie replied, smiling, "Definitely, Sam."

Looking at the Jacksons, she said, grinning, "You two did me proud today. God, c'mere you."

She hugged them both and said, "I'm really going to miss you."

Sam kissed her cheek and Daniel said, smiling at the Hankan affectionately, "We'll try to come to your graduation... all nine of us, although, you know, we can't promise you anything."

"I know, Daniel."

Daniel turned to Simon and said, shaking his hands, "Take care of Cassie."

"I will, Doctor."

Mark hugged Sam and said, grinning, "You know, I'm very happy for you."

Sam, grinning back, replied, "I got that... you are so transparent. I'm glad you're happy. Hey, maybe you could come up this summer, or we could return the favour?"

"Oh, either way, it's a date, Sammy."

As Sam and Emmie hugged, the Colonel then hugging the Carter kids, Mark clapped Daniel on the shoulder and said, "All existing threats still stand... And something I should have said much earlier..."

He pulled the Archaeologist into a hug and said, "Welcome to the family, Daniel."

Smiling, Daniel replied, bemused as he met Sam's touched gaze over his brother-in-law's shoulder, "Thanks."


	95. Chilling Out

After everyone else had left, SG-1 and the Jacks stationed themselves around the lounge in their various pyjamas, Sam half-reclined on the couch in Daniel's arms as they each had beer or juice. Jonas, grinning, patted Teal'c on the shoulder as he remarked,

"I think Grandpa Teal'c here went places today..."

As Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him, Jack smirked, remarking, "Oh yeah."

Teal'c, his eyebrow still up, said, "I do not understand why you are surprised at Ish'ta and myself kissing. You do not say the same for ColonelCarter and DanielJackson."

"Ah, well, y'see, it's because you're so damn straight normally, T, that it's a shock when you go wild on us. Oh, and loving those observations you've been making - it shows that my kids aren't totally lost without me."

Sam snickered, saying, "I still remember you gaping at Teal'c and Ish'ta, Sir... we all had the tact to leave but you stood there, frozen in a gag about emailing..."

Mini-Jack remarked, looking at Daniel fondly, "Ah yes, I heard about that... Teal'c's face disappeared for a day."

Cam, frowning slightly, asked, "Hey, is the whole disappearing for a day thing some kind of classic SG-joke?"

The Jacks, Teal'c and Sam exchanged little glances, Daniel asking, curious, his fingers gently running over her waist, "Sam?"

No-one wanted to say anything but then Jack said, "It's nothing... I'm sure Carter'll tell you later."

Vala remarked, sitting next to Cam, her head resting on his shoulder, "I'm sure a lot more distracting things will be going on."

Sam and Daniel promptly blushed as the Jacks smirked, Teal'c looking amused as Jonas and Cam smiled cheekily, Vala looking innocent. Jack said to the newlyweds, raising his beer bottle to them,

"I'm proud of you two. You've showed us all that you can kick ass and still have a life."

Sam and Daniel, embarrassed, smiled as their gazes fell, Mini-Jack smiling wistfully as he thought of Sara and Charlie. As a grinning Jonas, Cam and Vala called out 'here, here', Teal'c, smiling fondly at his friends, said,

"I concur."

--------------------

After some laughing, talking, Hollywood satire and rotational embarrassment, Sam frowned slightly, remembering something. She stretched backwards a little to whisper in Daniel's ear as he instinctively bowed his head,

"Daniel, the presents are still in your car. I can't believe we forgot."

He kissed the tip of her ear and was about to reply when Jack remarked, having caught what she had said thanks to years of Special Forces training, "Well, we've all been beered up, except for the President of the Chulak branch of Orange Julius..."

Teal'c said, "I apologise for failing to mention the matrimonial gifts that remain in the trunk of DanielJackson's car. I did not think it of consequence tonight."

Daniel said as the Jacks and Cam looked on amused, "Teal'c, it's ok... We would have remembered tomorrow anyway."

Sam, settling in her husband's snug warmth once again, said as she leant into his embrace, closing her eyes, "We'll get them tomorrow... the 'thank you' letters are going to be so fun."

The Jacks, Cam and Jonas exchanged glances, Teal'c's eyebrow threatening to rise, and Vala said, glancing around at the aforementioned men, "Oh, come on, you've got SG-1, a General and a delightful young man with a rip-roaring sense of humour..."

Jack pretended to look offended as mini-Jack looked amused and ever so slightly embarrassed at the praise. Cam, glancing worriedly at Vala, wondered if she was attracted to the younger man. Jonas, grinning, said,

"Yep, you've got all of us for tonight, so you might as well use us."

Vala remarked, taking a purposeful breath and grimacing, "Just not for sexual purposes."

A chorus of raised eyebrows, embarrassed coughs and red faces ensued as Vala smiled, feigning innocence, and Jack remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand, "It would all end in tears..."

He clapped his hands and continued, "So..."

Sam gazed up at Daniel, who shrugged as he gazed back at her, silently communicating. He smiled slightly and she nodded before getting up and saying with a grin, the beer beginning to get to her as the rest of their friends got up,

"This is going to be fun..."

Mini-Jack, glancing at Jack, said, "Uh, Carter? You might not wanna go out like that, unless you want to give your neighbours a little late night excitement."

Sam glanced down at her t-shirt and said, embarrassed as the rest of SG-1 began to make their way out of the house, "Oh yeah, I forget when I'm with you guys..."

As Cam passed her, amused, she said, "Right... Mitchell, you've got command on this one."

"Thanks for that."

A flurry of rude comments, raised eyebrows and grins later, only Daniel was left in the house, the front door wide open, their friends' laughter audible through it. They smiled at each other and she glanced down at the blue-and-white striped pyjama bottoms that he wore, remarking with a grin as she wrapped her arms around his waist,

"Hmm, why does everything go with your eyes?"

Feigning innocence although a twinkle in his eye remained, he retorted, "If they didn't, I'd be all over the place."

She chuckled and they kissed, he eventually pushing her up against the door frame gently as they both got carried away. When they parted, flushed, breathless and overwhelmingly happy, she remarked, glancing down and making him blush,

"Ooh, you better go before you're unfit for public viewing."

He whispered as he kissed her ear, "Oh, there'll be plenty of that tonight... or maybe tomorrow seeing as I'm quite possibly very drunk..."

She remarked, amused, "Quite possibly?! Daniel, you were waxing lyrical about Teal'c again, only this time comparing him to Chewbacca, Spock, Tuvok, Odo, Guinan, and Worf. I swear, if the programme wasn't classified, you'd be writing a treatise on it."

He retorted, concluded by a sultry smile, "I think I said that Guinan is more like Oma. Anywho, I know of another treatise too..."

As he kissed her throat, her head rolling back in pleasure, her eyes shut, she said, almost in a whisper, "Well at least go before you get your car broken into by a pissed General, British and US definitions of the term."

Still trailing kisses down her neck, he whispered, "Jack rarely gets drunk - he knows when to stop."

"Not my point..."

Grabbing fistfuls of his t-shirt as she contemplated throwing him to the ground and doing some very R-rated things to him, she remarked, her eyes still closed, "He'll break into your car... you know he's just itching to do it."

"Hmm, I don't care."

"Me neither then."

A moment later, the kisses moved to her jaw and then back to her lips, the kisses and reciprocal gestures growing in intensity in a final burst of making out, both of them silently deciding to stop... eventually. When they parted, dazed, she said, reaching onto a little shelf in the hall for his glasses and car keys,

"Married life's going to be fun."

"Exhilaratingly exhausting too."

They chuckled, and she carefully slid his glasses onto his face, saying as she caressed his neck, his eyes flickering ever so slightly as she handed him the keys, "Go on Jackson... the General's not a patient man..."

As if on cue, they heard Jack call through the open door, "Do you want us to break in!?"

"And that's your cue."

They exchanged a relatively small kiss before Daniel headed out of the door, calling back, "Jaaaack..."

Sam, grinning in amusement, watched Daniel and the Jacks have a little slanging match, and then her friends extract the multiform and manifold presents from the boot of the Archaeologist's car.

--------------------

The presents in a sizeable pile in the middle of the Carter-Jackson's lounge, SG-1 and the Jacks sat around it, eyeing up the treasure trove. Mini-Jack remarked,

"And these are the ones you were allowed to take off-base... Yeesh..."

Jack added, raising his eyebrows briefly, "Well, if you kids ever find that unwanted wedding gift shops exist, you'd make a killing with this lot... Come on, let's get these open before I get my pension... nice as that would be..."

Vala, glancing at an amused Cam, asked, "Oh, I've heard about Earth military pensions - it's going to be a lot of money, isn't it?"

"Oh yes, and all for living long enough to be a General... and of course, our funny stuff. Man, I can't believe the 'gate's been open for twelve years now."

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c exchanged sober glances, or as sober as an inebriated Daniel could manage in his case, the Jaffa saying, "I believe we concur with that statement of disbelief."

As the rest of the team and Jack looked amused, mini-Jack remarked, smiling wistfully, "Me too... to a lesser extent..."

After a brief uneasy silence, Jack growing impatient, Sam said, "Right, ok, everyone make sure to make notes of who gave what for the 'thank you' letters..."

As their friends got to work, Sam glanced at Daniel and asked, "Which one first?"

Their fingers interlaced as they held hands, he replied, trying hard to control his behaviour lest he call Teal'c 'deep' again, "Ferretti's... he was pretty insistent that we open it when we got home..."

Teal'c remarked, beating Jack to the rude remark, "Perhaps it is of an erotic nature as befitting the nature of the night of the Tau'ri wedding."

Sam and Daniel promptly blushed, the rest of the friends really surprised at first, Jack eventually saying with a grin, "Oh yes, my kids are safe... uh, no offence Mitchell."

Cam replied, smiling slightly, "None taken Sir... I know about your indestructible bond with your team... yours and l'il Jack's."

Jack said as mini-Jack began to look belligerent, "Damn straight..."

Jack looked at the medium-sized parcel that Sam and Daniel held, gazing at it curiously. She asked,

"What do you think it is?"

Daniel shrugged but then leant over to whisper something in her ear. She laughed out loud at what she had heard, amused at his growing redness. Cam remarked in amusement as Vala looked surprised, the Jacks making a point to grimace, Jonas clearing his throat and Teal'c smiling,

"Jackson, you dog!"

Jack, fighting once again to stop himself from rolling his eyes, said, "Oh, fer cryin' out loud... open the damn thing..."

Sam and Daniel, simultaneously smiled at each other before proceeding to unwrap the present that they both held. The Archaeologist was highly bemused on seeing a Major Matt Mason doll, complete with parachute. He looked at Sam and on noticing her smile cryptically, he asked,

"Sam?"

As the rest of the team took turns to look at the doll, Sam replied with a happy sigh, "It's a reference to my first Abydos briefing before the second mission there. The then Colonel was putting me down and..."

The Jacks simultaneously rolled their eyes as the rest looked intrigued at the insight into the past, Daniel shooting a meaningful look at the General. Jack remarked, exasperated,

"Carter... I wasn't putting you down..."

Sam raised an eyebrow at him before continuing, "As I was saying, he was putting me down so I told him that I played with dolls when I was younger. Ferretti asked which one and I said Major Matt Mason. Kawalsky was confused so Ferretti explained it. Uncle George was pretty pissed... Man, I haven't seen one of these in years. I used to have a few of them..."

Daniel, amused, remarked, "You know, you've never mentioned Major Mason before..."

Jack remarked, "We'll be right behind you when you kick the guy's ass. He won't know what's coming to him."

Sam replied to Daniel as most of everyone laughed, "He can't hold a candle to you, Daniel... he's plastic for one..."

Mini-Jack added, earning an odd look from Jack, "He's puny and hasn't seen a tonne of crap like we have."

As they proceeded to open more of the presents, Teal'c remarked, an eyebrow raised and resulting in more laughter, "I believe that it would be beneficial to list many of these on eBay."


	96. To Bed

In bed, later that night, SG-1 and the Jacks in the spare room, Sam and Daniel lay in each other's arms, playing a game in which they tested how far they could go without making too much of a noise so as to alert or possibly embarrass their friends in the next room. When she came very near to losing, his mouth doing unspeakable things to her chest, she settled down at his side, throwing a leg across his thighs and very nearly making the poor man levitate three feet into the air.

Smoothing his stomach, she remarked as he kissed her hair, "Oh, some wedding night this is turning out to be... I'm proud of you though. You did really well, taking into account that you had had half of that bottle of beer."

As he played with her hair, he replied, smiling slightly, "Well, you know I'm sensitive, always have been. I'm surprised I haven't done anything stupid, apart from that academic comparison of Teal'c and his on-screen counterparts. As for our wedding night or distinct lack of a traditional one, we've got nearly everyone we care about under the same roof. Anyway... at least we're naked."

She chuckled as she ran a hand across his bare chest, and she kissed him, retorting, "That's a plus for sure..."

"Mmm, oh, it is... Shame we can't do this on missions."

She laughed, saying, "Oh God, I can just see Teal'c's eyebrow if he rushes into our tent to wake us up for some reason."

"Oh, such an influential and iconic gesture... we've all picked it up."

They chuckled and then sighed happily. He ran his fingers up and down her back, saying, "Come on Samantha, let's see if we can sleep... Cassie's going to phone in a few hours."

"I know. It's just fun being here like this."

"I know."

--------------------

Around three in the morning, the sound of the bedside phone drilled itself into Sam's consciousness, and her eyes opened in the dark, hearing and feeling Daniel's steady breathing under the hand that rested on his chest, her body snug against his. She groggily reached over him for the phone, saying into it,

"Hello?"

"Sam! Oh, I'm so sorry - I forgot about the upstairs phone."

"Cassie?"

"Yeah, you told me to ring as soon as I land, remember? God, I'm sorry - I was just going to leave a message on your machine."

Forcing herself awake, Sam replied, sitting up, "Don't apologise, Cass... So, how was your flight?"

Daniel woke up soon afterwards, squinting in the light of the bedside lamp. She glanced at him and mouthed 'Cassie', which resulted in him waking himself up further, asking with his eyes if the Hankan was alright. Sam nodded in reply before saying to Cassie,

"Thanks for calling. I'm glad you did otherwise I would have been worried later on. Listen, I'll ring you a little later... when's your class? Uh-huh... oh, that's lucky. Ok, well, I'll ring you at three pm mountain time then. Yeah? Ok. Take care of yourself sweetheart. 'night."

She disconnected and Daniel drowsily nuzzled her, asking, "How is she?"

"Oh, she's as chipper as ever. She's got a class scheduled for the afternoon so she's going to get some extra sleep."

"They grow up so fast..."

She replied with a sigh as he held her close, "They do... I just hope that we don't miss out with the twins."


	97. Have Some Fun

One evening, a while after their friends had gone home, the twins asleep, Sam and Daniel ate their dinner and talked. She said with a sigh,

"Lucky we don't live in Britain, because we'd lose them sooner... kids start kindergarten at three and a half over there."

Noticing her sadness, he placed a hand over hers and said gently, inwardly dreading school, "Sam, it doesn't matter whether they start at three or six, we're still going to miss them. Strange as this might sound, I know how you feel."

She smiled, remarking as she met his gaze, "Of course you do, you're a mother too."

He smiled at this, and then asked, cheering up, "So... how did you come across that little nugget?"

"What, the... oh right. Uh, you've got a cousin-in-law in Cardiff."

Raising his eyebrows briefly in surprise, he said, confused, "Oh..."

Understanding the source of his confusion, she said with a smile, "That would be through Dad's brother, Isaac. His daughter Becky married a Welshman."

"Ah, right."

When they got up to wash their plates, she remarked, "You've got a lot more family now... mainly Carters, but some Montgomeries too."

"Oh, Mom's side?"

She smiled slightly, whispering silently to her mother that she would certainly have loved the Archaeologist, and replied, "Yep... her parents moved to the States from Stranraer on the western coast of Scotland."

He was about to reply, up to his elbows in soap suds as he scrubbed a pan when the doorbell rang. They exchanged puzzled glances, the Archaeologist shaking his head in reply to a silent question.

"Right, they have keys..."

She put the dishcloth down and rushed off to the lounge, Daniel quickly rinsing his hands and the pan he had washed, drying his hands as he ran after her. He was right behind her as she opened the door to the smiling faces of Jack and SG-1.

"So... you kids having fun?"

Sam, puzzled at sensing something a little odd, turned to look back at Daniel, who, noticing the same thing too, said, confused as he stepped forward, readjusting his glasses, "Jack? What's going on?"

The Jacksons stepped aside to let their friends in, Jack smiling smugly, and Teal'c said as they stepped through to the lounge, "We have conversed with regard to you."

Sam and Daniel exchanged confused glances, the former asking, "Us?"

"Indeed."

Jack, amused at Teal'c, said, "You kids have been busy lately and haven't had a break, so we're giving you one. Go out and do something fun."

Vala remarked, resulting in rolled eyes all round, "Just nothing sexual if you're going out - I've heard about Earth's prudishness. I'm surprised it isn't common knowledge throughout the galaxy like Gralida is."

The others except for Teal'c exchanged confused looks, the Jaffa raising an eyebrow as he said, "Indeed. On Gralida, it is a crime for any citizen to leave their house lest they become tempted to procreate. The birth count has dwindled as a result, although the mortality rate has increased due to suicides."

As Cam, Jonas and the Jacksons looked surprised, Jack remarked, raising his eyebrows briefly, "I can imagine... Sheesh, no sex? That would be tough."

He turned back to Sam and Daniel and said, "Right, you two, out. We'll hold down the fort... don't worry, I'm not too stupid to feed those two if they wake up."

Jonas said with a smile, "You're not stupid Jack."

"Oh, you'd be surprised..."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a little look, the former saying, "Thanks guys, but we're fine. We're just enjoying being steady parents again. We could have a get together tomorrow night."

"Ah, ah, ah Carter, you know I'm going back to D.C. tomorrow. Go on, move it... I am a General after all."

Cam remarked, amused, "Way to throw rank, Sir - you know as well as Sam and I do - Jackson doesn't follow orders."

Sam shot a little smile at an embarrassed Daniel, Teal'c raising an eyebrow and Jack smiling fondly, saying quietly at first, "Don't I know it. Ok, then we'll get SG-3 to bus you out."

"I'm offended Sir. You've got Earth's frontline team here, and you're favouring SG-3."

"Ah, well, you see, have you ever tried getting Daniel at least to do something that he doesn't want to?"

He turned back to the Jacksons and said, "What are you waiting for?"

Sam said, glancing down momentarily, "Sir, thank you but we can't. We're fine."

"I swear Daniel's obliviousness is transferrable by marriage. You'd say you were fine if you're head was hanging off. Move it. Don't make me stoop as low as weaponry. I think we can get Jonas to MacGyver a zat from some soup tins and a car battery."

Jonas smiled in gratitude at Jack's apparent albeit dubiously expressed faith in his abilities, and Sam and Daniel looked at each other again, the latter asking quietly, "What do you think?"

She shrugged and said, "I suppose we could go out..."

She suddenly ran out of the lounge to the front door, much to her friends' bemusement. Jack remarked, "Ooh, someone's eager."

Sam returned, having opened the door and looked out, and she said to Daniel, "Jackson, get your leather jacket."

Vala, intrigued, asked, "Bondage? I didn't think you two were quite so wild. My, I have to say that I am surprised despite my jokes to the contrary."

As everyone else but an ever stoic Teal'c looked embarrassed, Cam glaring at the dark haired woman, Sam closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head and she said, bemused as she and Daniel put their jackets on, "No, Vala. We're going on my bike."

Jack remarked, "Is that what you kids call it these days?"

After a moment of disbelief, Sam and Daniel thanked their friends, Jack threatening them with setting Teal'c on them if they didn't go, and they left.

Outside, having put up a supportive front inside for Sam's sake, Daniel asked, unsure as they walked to the garage, marvelling at the way her hair glowed an ethereal silvery gold in the light of the full moon, "Uh, Sam?"

She turned around with a smile that took his breath away, their friends peeking between the curtains from inside, and she said, "Oh, don't knock it until you've tried it - it's amazing."

He smiled back at her, replying as she opened the garage door, "Ok, just so long as you're aware that I've never been on a bike before. To be honest, I'm scared."

Her smile fading as she realised how hard it must have been for him to admit that last part, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said softly, "I won't let anything happen to you, Daniel, I promise. Just hold onto me - you'll be fine."

He nodded as she tossed him a spare helmet and she kissed him on the cheek before wheeling her bike out, locking the garage up. He asked,

"How long has it been since you rode? I remember you coming into work with your leathers on before that, uh, Hippolyta thing."

With a sombre expression, she replied, "Oh, a couple of nights before that. I rode up to the mountains to think."

"Ah."

"Yeah. So..."

He smiled at her, putting his helmet on, and she grinned, putting her own on as she remarked, "You'll love it."


	98. Out for a Ride

Sam, Daniel's arms around her waist, gradually built up speed as she sped down the road, in the direction of the mountains. She smiled when she felt his once vice-like grip eventually loosen and then she heard him hum over the sound of the wind whooshing past them, the gesture being a method to deal with his own fear despite relaxing somewhat.

She accelerated up mountain roads, the liberating feel of high speeds, the racing winds and the open road feeling as though she was finally coming home again. She was grinning by the time she had decided on a place to stop, loving every minute and hoping that he felt the same way too. She had never rode with another person other than her brother and yet it felt so right and so great to have him behind her, holding her as he gradually overcame his fear.

She parked up at a spot overlooking the city and they got off, both of them feeling incredibly giddy. They took their helmets off and she was surprised to see a one hundred megawatt grin lighting up his face. She asked, grinning herself,

"How was it?"

He ran his fingers through his hair and said, "It was amazing... It's going to take me a while to come down from this. God..."

She remarked as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "Hmm, me too."

They both looked out at the view, and he said, amazed, "Wow, this is beautiful."

As she leant her head on his shoulder, his arms encircling her waist, she replied, "It sure is. God, we should have done this a long time ago."

"Definitely. I think you've turned me into a speed freak."

She laughed at this and his expression grew sober as he gazed down at her under the light of the moon. He reached up a hand to play with her hair and she smiled up at him, knowing what was to come. He said, deliberately delaying the inevitable,

"You're so beautiful, my fair Guinevere. Artur was right - you do bear a striking resemblance to her."

"Well, you better hope I won't run off with Lancelot."

"About that... I'm going to zat Major Matt Mason..."

She grinned, playfully hitting him when she noticed the mischievous glint in his eye, and as their lips grew closer, she remarked in a murmur, "You're much better than he is, trust me."

They kissed fervently, their fingers running through each other's hair and underneath items of clothing as they took advantage of their secluded spot. They parted, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breath, and he remarked, smiling,

"I don't think we've ever done it al fresco before."

"Uh-uh, back yard."

"Oh right... Well, I meant proper outside, rather than outside our house."

"I'm not sure how long the General wants us out... it could be risky and we could get arrested if we got caught. It's not something that we'd want to be famous for."

He remarked with a mischievous smile, "You've thought about it."

"With you, of course I have. God, I swear, all those years we've missed out on this."

He blushed, replying, "Yeah. That would have been a lot of fun."

After a quick kiss, they sat together on the edge of the rocky precipice, holding hands as they gazed out at the view of the city at night. She leant her head on his shoulder and said,

"I can't believe they're thinking of replacing Liz... I suppose it's like when Uncle George got promoted."

"Well, Jack did say that it was a matter of semantics. As soon as they call the situation with the Wraith a war, then it questions Liz's position there, although, as you told Jack earlier, how they're going to pull off having a United States Air Force officer in charge of an international expedition is an enigma. The IOA are going to be up in arms about it."

She nodded, and said after a beat, "The General still had a go at me fixing her up with Shep. God, changes... rumour has it that General Landry's going to retire now that the Ori thing is done and dusted with. We could have a civilian in charge again."

Looking thoughtful, he asked, glancing at her, "Liz?"

She bit her lip and replied, "Maybe not. There's a rumour going round that the programme will be used for scientific purposes now that the Ori and the Goa'uld are gone. The President's apparently ready and willing as it's a springboard for mankind's exploration of space."

He nodded and said with a sigh, "It won't be me, Sam. The President will most likely send someone else like Liz, if not the genuine article, to head it all up. To be honest, I'd rather not give up what I have now. I love being on SG-1, and as hard as it is to be without you most days, I love our once in a while missions together."

They kissed, and she said, a little dazed, "Me too. The General hates being 'the man' because he didn't get as much action."

"Well, anyway, it won't be me, and there's no point speculating unless something happens, and surely Jack would have mentioned something if it's going to be me. He did tell me about your promotion and everything while you were... uh, away."

"Yeah."

They sat together in a peaceful silence for a few moments before she asked, "What about Christopher?"

Taking a moment to realise what she meant, he said gently, "Sam... I'm touched that you want another baby with this headcase, but..."

She closed her eyes and said, "I know. I'm nearly forty-four. I suppose we could adopt, but we could at least try."

He remarked with a smile, "That would definitely be fun."

He tenderly kissed her, and she, amused at his comment, said, "Oh yes... After the Jaffa are sorted out, I could stop my injections and take some leave."

"You know that if I could get a hold of that moonshine again, I'd have the baby for you, don't you?"

Smiling at him gratefully, she replied, "I know. You've said it before, but I know you really mean it unlike other guys would. God, I love being married to you."

He smiled at her, saying right before they kissed, "I love being married to you too."


	99. There's More

A couple of hours later, the Jacksons returned from their ride, looking and feeling incredibly refreshed and relaxed. Jack stood on the doorstep, tapping his foot for effect as he remarked,

"What time do you call this!?"

Sam retorted, grinning, "Night time Sir."

Daniel added, deadpan, "Doesn't your high flying General salary cover a watch, Jack?"

As Jack let them in, he retorted, his eyebrows raised, "Funny... I take it you two enjoyed yourselves?"

As Sam and Daniel took their jackets off, the latter replied, "A lot... it's the most fun I've had in ages!"

Sam said, happy, "Thank you so much Sir, for forcing us to take some time out."

Jack simply smiled softly as the scientists made their way into the lounge, not wanting to ruin the moment by making a dirty remark. He stopped behind them when they stopped in surprise on seeing the sleeping twins being held by Cam and Teal'c. Daniel spun around, confused and asked,

"Jack?"

As Sam turned to look at the General, puzzled too, Jack placed a hand on their shoulders, saying, "All part and parcel of the 'Let the Jacksons have a life' service. We've been imposing on you and..."

Vala chipped in, smiling innocently as SG-1 turned to look at her with varying facial expressions ranging from Mitchell-brand glaring to Teal'c-brand solo eyebrow raising, "And you need to enjoy some nocturnal activities before Captain Simmons checks into one of your mental establishments..."

Sam glanced down at her feet in embarrassment, and said, "Guys, thank you so much for giving us a little break but we can't do this to you... We're supposed to be getting back to normal after everything."

Daniel added, smiling slightly at his wife, "We're trying to settle down again."

Vala remarked, again before anyone could say anything, "Oh nonsense, do you really want to explain to your delightful children what those odd noises emanating from your room are?"

Sam hid her face in embarrassment, muttering, "Oh boy," as Cam rolled his eyes and remarked, "Subtle, Vala. Very subtle."

Vala flashed him a grin, retorting, "I thought so too."

Jack cleared his throat and said, glaring in Vala's direction briefly, "Anyway, as I was saying before we all got mental pictures that we could do without, the confederate of Honorary Carter-Jackson Uncles and_ Aunt_ are babysitting those geniuses of yours for the night."

When both Sam and Daniel made to object, Jonas remarked, "C'mon, it's Jack's last night in Colorado – do you really want to begrudge the guy some Uncle time with these two?"

Jack, shooting an appreciative smile to his one-time nemesis, said, "Uncle Jonas is right."

When Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, silently communicating, Teal'c said, "It will be of no trouble to us, ColonelCarter and DanielJackson for we wish to take this honour. Fear not for their welfare."

Cam, smiling at Teal'c as Jack and Jonas did, added softly as he gently moved Cammie's hair from her face, "We'll bring 'em back first thing tomorrow."

Jack, his arms around his two favourite scientists, remarked, "Well, can't beat that. What d'you say?"

Sam said, looking around at their friends, "Thank you but..."

Jack interrupted her, saying, "Ah, ah, ah, Carter, you don't have a choice. Consider this an order if you have to, but those kids are leaving with us one way or another tonight. You two need to chill."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak and Jack, not wanting to hear what he had to say, said, getting frustrated, "Oh fer cryin' out loud! They'll be fine, and no, it's not a problem – as T-man said, we want to do it."

Sam and Daniel exchanged another glance, the two of them going to gently smooth the heads of their sleeping children, and the latter said, "Ok... thank you."

Jack threw his hands down in relief, and Cam remarked quietly, "That's what I'm talking about!"

Vala added, "Just as well this is a detached house otherwise those neighbours of yours are going to be very angry... if not, rather envious..."

Everyone looked at her incredulously, the happy couple embarrassed, and Jack said, "Ok, let's get this show on the road – everyone else but the Jacksons... out."

Sam and Daniel hugged their friends in gratitude as they each filed past them, including Jack, the General making them redden profusely with rude jokes a-plenty. Their friends gone, Sam and Daniel, the latter with his back leaning against the closed front door, remarked,

"Well, that's a hint if ever I saw one..."

Smiling at him, she leant forward to kiss him, retorting, "I didn't get it."


	100. Woo

_Okie dokey, you can skip this chapter if you're a wee bit sensitive to rude stuff... they're just getting jiggy with it... eventually. _Oh, and something that Sam mentions about, ahem, al fresco, was also in Meriem Clayton's When Seen with Love: We Do, which is essential reading for any self-respecting SamDaniel 'shipper. It was just so good and right that I borrowed and reMacGyvered it.

_--------------------_

Upstairs, in their room, Sam and Daniel stood opposite each other, a good six feet between them as they stared at each other, flummoxed. He said, throwing his hands down in frustration,

"How many times have we done it?! We're acting like clueless teenagers scared for their lives."

She nodded, replying, frustrated too, "It's because we know that they know that we're supposed to be doing it."

"Ah, kind of like alcohol and its effect on me."

She closed her eyes in confusion and remarked, "_What_ does that have to do with that?! You just brought it up for shock value..."

He, still managing to blush, replied with a shrug, "Some shock, you were there."

"Don't I know it."

They simultaneously sighed, their arms folded across their chests, and she said, "We really do need to do it... Vala wasn't far off about Simmons."

Neither of them moved. She closed her eyes briefly and reached for the door knob, intending to open the door as she said, "Come on Daniel, let's get some coffee..."

Within a second or so, he had closed the distance between them in a couple of strides and pressed her up against the wall, the door forgotten as he kissed the life out of her, their libidos alive and kicking. She instinctively ground her hips against his in answer to his own movements, clutching the front of his shirt in fistfuls as she attempted to bring him ever closer to her. His lips left hers, trailing a series of kisses down her jaw and neck which sent delicious albeit frustrating tingles down her spine. He whispered, breathing heavily,

"Oh God Sam..."

As if she had read his mind, she nodded, unbuttoning his shirt with an almost wild savagery that, on later reflection, had the Archaeologist wondering how she hadn't ripped his buttons off. His glasses had fallen somewhere – neither cared where – and the rest of his clothes were following suit, as were hers. He whispered as they managed to get their trousers off, each working on their own for speed's sake,

"Sam?"

She growled, impatient as she said, dragging him back up so that they could continue, "Here first."

He didn't need telling twice. They continued their caresses, her with her back pressed against the wall, him with his body flush against hers and threatening to meld with hers in the heat of the moment. The desire to meld became all-consuming, and once again he whispered her name in her ear. In reply, she ground her hips against his in an unmistakable invitation.

He immediately complied, holding her tightly between himself and the wall to keep them both upright as they began to move together, neither aware of the noises that they were making as they swiftly came to a release, both of them shuddering on impact. Unable to stand any longer, they both slid to the floor, holding onto each other, listening to their racing heartbeats as they waited to accrue sufficient energy to get up.

His arms around her, he whispered, kissing her hair, "That's a no on holding out for nearly a week."

--------------------

When they eventually made it to the bed, she chuckled, remarking as she leant over him, "Always different with you. I love it."

He gently caressed her shoulder, replying, "Count me in. We really shouldn't be doing this at our age..."

As she straddled him, making him hiss as she touched him intimately, she said, "Well, women peak in their forties and men in their twenties, but seeing as you, Daniel Jackson, Archaeologist, Linguist, Philologist and Chocologist extraordinaire, have actually given birth..."

"Sam, are you calling me a woman?!"

She smiled at him innocently, remarking, "How else would you explain this peaking?"

"Well, how about that we're crazy about each other and that if we didn't have responsibilities, we'd be getting friction burns?!"

"Oh you."

As she watched him squirm, trying hard not to lose control as her caresses intensified, she said, "About what we talked about earlier, I wouldn't mind expanding our repertoire..."

Amused, he retorted, "We've christened most of the rooms in the house..."

"Well, I did mean al fresco where we wouldn't get caught and/or arrested."

Staring at her for a moment, he asked, surprised, "You've done in the back seat, haven't you?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Well, not full on... that's a story for another day anyway... I'm not sure one of my old exs wants a thrice-dead, angry Archaeologist on his tail."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply before saying, "Samantha, I have you – they don't... now if you don't mind, I'd like to make love to you again... that Astrophysicist is really playing havoc with my self control again."

An eyebrow raised, she remarked, smirking nonetheless as his mouth went to work, "Oh really? Well in that case, blow me away... again."

--------------------

Spent and sated after four more intense bouts, they lay together, thoroughly exhausted yet happier than two clams on their birthday. They continued exchanging kisses and small caresses, and she remarked as she ran her hand across his chest,

"I liked you holding me from behind..."

He nuzzled her neck, whispering with a smile, "I liked you on top."

She rolled over so that she was lying on top of him, her arms resting on his chest and she asked, looking tired yet exhilarated as he wrapped his arms around her, "Is it always going to be like this?"

He shrugged as he reached up to gently push her hair behind an ear, replying, "I don't know but I sure as heck know that we can't do this on a work night. I think I'm half dead as it is."

"Ah, but what a way to go, huh? I know I've said it before, but I just love how it's always different with you, always exciting... I've never had that with anyone else before."

Smiling up at her, he replied, "Me neither. It's like we're two halves of the same person."

She rested her face in the crook of his neck as he drew a blanket over them both, remarking, "That we are..."


	101. Breakfast

The next morning, after finding a note in the twins' cribs, this time from Jack, Sam, leaving a sleeping Daniel in bed, came downstairs to find SG-1, Jack and the twins around the kitchen table, laughing and joking. Sam stood in the doorway from the lounge, watching them with a smile and James and then Cammie noticed her. James barrelled into her, Cammie too, and she knelt down to their height and hugged them, saying,

"Did you enjoy being with your Uncles and Aunt?"

Cammie shook her head and said, "FUBAR," making the adults laugh, Sam chastising the little girl, and James said, beaming as always, "'ockey with Uncle Jack."

She picked up James, not feeling strong enough to pick Cammie up too so she smoothed the little girl's hair, and she asked, looking at Jack, "Hockey Sir? You know Jackson's a pacifist."

Jack remarked with a shrug, "Come on Carter, Uncle Jack has to teach them something and if I'm not allowed to teach them how to hotwire a car, then this is the least I can do... Where is that husband of yours by the way?"

Sam was about to reply when Teal'c, to everyone's surprise, said, "Is it not obvious? As ColonelCarter has a greater stamina than DanielJackson..."

Jack and Vala smirked, the latter remarking, "Oh, I've been a great influence of you, haven't I, Muscles?"

"Indeed you have not."

Cam and Jonas looked mirthfully at Vala who just shrugged, and Jack, noticing Sam look increasingly embarrassed, said, getting up, "Come on folks, let the poor woman eat her breakfast, calorie replacement an' all... "

Just then Daniel appeared, picking Cammie up, the little girl finally grinning as she hugged him, and Sam said to her departing friends, "Thanks, you guys."

They each nodded in reply, Cam discreetly pinching Vala's arm to stop her from saying anything rude, much to Sam and Daniel's inward amusement. Teal'c said,

"ColonelCarter..."

Sam said, bemused, "Teal'c, I said that you could call me Samantha but you insisted on the title thing..."

"It is a mark of respect in Jaffa culture, but very well, Samantha."

"That's better."

When the friends left, leaving Jack, who insisted on taking the twins, the General said, "I'm gonna miss you kids..."

Daniel asked, wistful, "Your flight's this afternoon, isn't it?"

"I've put if off 'til later... I like this place."

Sam and Daniel smiled, and Jack asked as he picked Cammie up, holding James' hand, "What do you say to a little SG Poker night out back later on? Consider it a leaving party."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, the former saying, "We'd like that very much Sir..."

Daniel added, "What we'd like even better is for you to stay longer. We don't usually get to see you these days and we miss you."

Jack added, looking sad, "I miss you too. We should hang out more often, I agree... I best let you guys eat. Go on."

He left with the twins and the Jacksons sat d own to breakfast. When they were sure that their friends were well out of earshot, she whispered, sipping her orange juice,

"How are you?"

He winced a little, replying, "Little sore... you Air Force officers sure know how to have a good time..."

He broke out into a grin as he continued, "And I enjoyed it."

"God, me too. I hope it isn't that long before we do it again – we'd probably lower the resale value of this house."

He gently kissed her forehead, replying, "That would be _fun_ to explain..."

His eyes wandered to the fridge and he frowned, asking suddenly, "Where have the thank you letters gone? They were right there..."

She turned to look, and said, confused, "I'm sure I put them there last night..."

He was about to call Jack when the very man himself appeared through the backdoor, saying, "About those letters of yours... delivered them last night seeing as we were at the mountain anyway... How're you kids doing?"

Sam and Daniel exchanged a little glance, the latter replying, "Fine thanks Jack..."

"Good... Don't let me stop you from eating... Sorry for barging in on you..."

He disappeared back into the rear yard again, and Daniel, confused, looked at where he'd been and then back at Sam, asking, "Did he just say the 's' word?"

Sam, amused, nodded and remarked, "I think Sara's changed him."

Grinning, he touched the tip of her nose affectionately, replying, "Not as much as you have with me."


	102. Poker and Fireflies

Later that night, the twins playing in the grass, SG-1 and Jack sat around a table on the back deck, playing Poker as promised earlier that day. As they played, they talked, Jonas remarking,

"Well, despite missing out on the past six years, I'll say that it's about time..."

Jack added, "That's what I told Hank, and Hank agrees. Everyone's happy..."

Daniel, looking down at his hand, said, uncertain, "I don't know... Do you think I can do it?"

Sam said, "Speaking as your CO as opposed to your wife and best friend, of course you can. You are more than capable of doing so. You helped Liz when she was starting out, and even though the General doesn't want to admit it, you helped him too."

Jack remarked, an eyebrow raised, "Carter, I'm not in denial."

Teal'c said, "You are more than capable of doing so, DanielJackson. You have demonstrated many skills during your time on SG-1, and you are indeed qualified."

Cam added, "That's one heck of an understatement, T-bird... The guy's a veritable George Washington... without the wooden teeth of course..."

Jack remarked, "... and the British Judge wig..."

Vala added, "... and the unhealthy attachment to Cherry trees..."

Everyone else smiled at her as Daniel said, "Vala, that's only a legend."

"It's still part of his character – the legend had to come from somewhere... just like your Atalanta who turned out to be a Jaffa warrior."

Daniel smiled as he remembered being told by Teal'c shortly after giving birth of Atala of the Hak'tyl, and Sam remarked with a shrug, "Daniel's all for legends coming to life."

They each smiled knowingly as they recalled each Goa'uld that they had encountered, the parasites assuming figures of Earth's folklore, as well as the Asgard and their affinities with the Norse gods, Oma Desala being the Swahili mother nature, and the Knights of the Round Table myths having some basis in reality.

Cam remarked, "Oh yeah, we got it bad..."

Sam briefly glanced over her shoulder and noticed that the twins had fallen asleep in the grass, and she smiled slightly as she put her hand down. Her friends looked at her in surprise as she got up, picking the slumbering twins up, and Daniel called,

"Sam? Do you want me to help?"

She made her way to the backdoor, calling back as she gazed down at the fair heads resting on her shoulders, "Nope, I got it."

After putting the twins in their cribs and lulling them to sleep when they had stirred, she returned, leaning in the doorway as she watched her friends play, smiling as she came to some conclusions. Daniel, as though sensing her, looked up and asked,

"Sam?"

Smiling at him, she replied, "They're asleep."

Jack asked, "Carter, you playing?"

Sam shook her head and replied, "No Sir... lost my thread."

"Good thing you're not then – Teal'c's whupping us."

Teal'c and Vala hi-fived, and Daniel, noticing the pensive look on Sam's face, asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Refolding her arms across her chest, she replied, still smiling, "Oh, just how despite being brought together by war, we've stayed together, weathering the storms and come out closer than family... Where else would you find a civilian Archaeologist being best friends with three aliens and three Air Force officers?"

They each looked thoughtful at what she had said, and Daniel got up, approaching her as he said, "Story of our lives..."

Jack said with a shrug, "Yeah, we're pretty damn cool – twelve years and we're..."

He trailed off as Sam and Daniel began to kiss, the rest of their friends, bar Teal'c, whooping and cheering, and Jack snapped his head around to look at a proudly smiling Teal'c, "Have you been teaching them how to shut me up?!"

Teal'c simply smirked as Sam and Daniel gazed at each other, the fireflies dancing around them as their friends looked happier than they had ever been.

-Fin

--------------------

_Oh my back hurts from uploading and rewriting. Lol. Okie dokey. Sequel to come in Jackson Junior: Commanders, featuring my version of Atlantis season four, and Continuum spoilers. Spin-off of chapter 59 to come too – Jackson Junior: Alternates. Oh, we're getting there, aren't we, getting all this back up again. Whoop. : )_


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